New government. New promises. Same crisis.
With the election of Mark Carney came a wave of renewed hope. For many young people in Canada, that hope has yet to translate into change. Take Mia (pseudonym), 22, who couch-surfed for months while juggling two part-time jobs and trying to stay in school. Or Jordan (pseudonym), 15, who waited six months to see a mental health professional as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder worsened. These stories aren’t outliers. They are symptoms of a system that continues to fail its future.
In Ottawa, the faces may change, but the policies lag.
Across Canada, nearly one in five people aged 15-24 met the criteria for a mood, anxiety or substance use disorder in the past year. Outdated, underfunded government responses have allowed these mental health problems to deepen and intersect.
The crisis is stark. Suicide remains the second-leading cause of death among youth, and waitlists for mental health care can stretch up to 2.5 years in some regions. For many, especially Indigenous, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ youth, the barriers are even greater due to discrimination and a lack of culturally affirming support. As one young person shared: “I had to spend the first 10 minutes explaining my pronouns instead of talking about why I was there. It felt like I had to justify my identity before I could get help.”
Housing insecurity adds another layer to the crisis. Thousands of youths are unhoused or precariously housed; from couch-surfing and shelter stays to sleeping rough. Young people aging out of care systems or fleeing unsafe homes are particularly vulnerable. Transition services meant to support youth into adulthood are often inaccessible due to restrictive criteria and burdensome processes, leaving many without the stable housing they urgently need.
The federal government has pledged to double the pace of housing starts to 500,000 units per year by 2030. But housing policy expert Steve Pomeroy of the Canadian Housing Evidence Collaborative warns this target drives “bad policy” and ignores deep structural issues such as labour shortages and the continued loss of affordable rental stock.
Young people have deeper concerns over income inequality than older generations with living paycheque to paycheque.
And then there’s the economy. Young people have deeper concerns over income inequality than older generations with living paycheque to paycheque. They face a precarious job market dominated by gig work, soaring living costs and stagnant wages amidst record levels of national debt. A pervasive sense of hopelessness about the future is becoming the norm. How can we ask the upcoming generation to “work hard” and “stay hopeful” when the economic system is so clearly stacked against them?
Perhaps the most frustrating part is the unsettling sense of déjà vu. This situation is not new, yet so little has changed. Governments routinely refer to youth as “the future,” yet their policies don’t reflect it. As seen with the still unrealized Home Buyer’s Bill of Rights, promised since 2021 to make the home-buying process more transparent and affordable, promises are made, reports are written, pilot projects are launched, yet there is no palpable impact at scale. We are stuck in policy paralysis with reactive, piecemeal approaches that fail to address the structural roots of youth inequality.
Meanwhile, other countries are forging ahead. Finland has integrated mental health education into school curricula to build emotional resilience and reduce stigma early. New Zealand’s Wellbeing Budget, which prioritizes accessible care and embeds youth voices in policy design, has decreased youth substance abuse rates by almost 10 per cent since its inception. These reforms reflect an international shift toward proactive, system-wide strategies that treat youth health as foundational to national health and prosperity.
Canada has the resources and responsibility to make youth wellbeing a national priority, not a policy afterthought. In an era of economic and global uncertainty, it’s easy to sideline youth. Political transitions are a rare chance to reset our direction. Investing in young people is not a distraction; it’s vital to build a stronger, more resilient Canada.
We know a better path is possible. Across the country, youth-led initiatives like Youth Wellness Hubs and Housing First for Youth show what’s achievable when we invest in young people and centre their voices. These successes need sustained funding, national coordination and meaningful youth involvement at every level.
Now is the time for bold leadership; a national Youth Wellbeing Strategy focused on mental health, housing and economic justice, with real youth representation in decision-making. This is not just a youth issue; it’s a societal one. When young people thrive, our whole country benefits.
In a country as wealthy as Canada, youth should not have to fight to survive. They deserve the chance to thrive and secure a better future for us all.
