Saanich bylaws may frown on housing at-risk youth, but that's soon to change if newly elected councillors are true to their election promises.

Threshold Housing Society, which operates two supportive houses in Victoria, wants to move into Saanich.

The municipality, however, won't allow it unless the house is licensed as a group home -- a status Threshold wants to avoid.

"This is semi-supported housing and the idea is to give kids a chance to develop some independence," said executive director Marion Little.

Unlike at a group home, Threshold doesn't prepare meals, dispense medication, provide 24-hour supervision or other services.

"The Ministry of Children and Families wants us to maintain our semi-independent housing program because it provides a transition for youth leaving group homes and leaving foster care."

Instead, staff provide a caring presence by supporting the youth through tough times, acknowledging birthdays and helping them make connections to the community, Little said.

Threshold currently provides housing for eight youth aged 16 to 21, four girls in one home and four boys in another. By 2010, the society would like to double this number.

For several years, B.C. Housing has been on the lookout to buy a replacement for the boys' house which needs $90,000 in renovations.

In 2006, it found a potential house on Feltham Street in Saanich, but consultations with municipal staff suggested the society was barking up the wrong tree by moving north of the Victoria border.

Saanich planning director Russ Fuoco doesn't recall the inquiries by Threshold but confirms Saanich bylaws would prohibit the transitional housing.

Unless the house is licensed as a group home, a maximum of four unrelated people can live under one roof in Saanich, Fuoco confirmed. Threshold houses four youth plus one caretaker, making five.

The bylaw aims to limit noise and other disturbances that come with a house overcrowded with tenants.

Noise, admits Little, is the main complaint by neighbours of the boys home but qualifies it's no worse than a house full of university students.

Inside the boys' house on a Friday afternoon, the building rocks with the sound of a stereo competing with Nintendo's FIFA video game.

In order to provide anonymity to the boys, the News has agreed to pseudonyms.

"John," who moved in one year ago, pauses his game to explain he was really nervous to make the move last November but likes sharing the house with the other guys, and he likes having his independence.

In December, John will finish his high school diploma and has applied for the business program at Camosun College -- a step he acknowledges he wouldn't have made without support from Threshold staff.

"Graham's always here to talk to," he said of supervisor Graham Kelly.

The question for Saanich residents, said Little, is not "if" but "how" we want to address homelessness.

"It's an illusion if we think we can say, 'not in my backyard' because youth in distress and at risk of homesslessness, they're (already) in our frontyard, they're on our streets, they're walking away with our bicycles."

In the days leading up to the election, Little challenged those running for council at an all-candidates meeting to support Threshold housing in the municipality.

With a show of hands, all nine present, (including elected candidates Murdock, Gerrard, Brice, Sanders, Hunter, Wergeland and Derman) agreed.

rholmen@saanichnews.com

Did you know?

A report prepared by the Community Council for Threshold Housing in July 2008 estimates there are approximately 220 adolescent children (aged 13-18), 323 emerging adults (aged 19-24) and 73 young adults (aged 25-30) are currently without safe, stable housing in the Capital Region.