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New Youth Safety and Violence Prevention Strategy approved in Vancouver

Nov. 14, 2023, Vancouver, B.C. – Vancouver city council has approved the 2023-2026 Youth Safety and Violence Prevention Strategy, which is an initiative supported by a four-year $4.3 million contribution agreement from the Building Safer Communities Fund, administered by the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada.

As part of the city’s ongoing commitment to public safety, this multi-year strategy will support community-based prevention and intervention strategies tackling youth violence in Vancouver, as well as promote individual and community well‐being, safety and belonging via community-based research, collaboration and a new granting program.

“Today’s approval of the Youth Safety and Violence Prevention Strategy marks a significant step in our ongoing commitment to creating a safer city where our youth can thrive,” said Mayor Ken Sim. “I’d like to thank the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada for partnering with us in this initiative. We are proud to work with senior government to create environments where youth in our communities feel safe, valued and equipped to succeed.”

To support the implementation of the Strategy, the city will administer the Building Safer Communities Vancouver Grants Program. Three new federal funding supported grant streams will support youth-serving organizations to build the capacity of the sector, deliver early violence prevention programs and support youth action projects in alignment with the proposed strategy.

The three grant streams include:

• BSCP Organizational and Youth Sector Capacity Building project grants
• BSCP Youth Violence Prevention program grants
• BSCP Youth Engagement project grants

Council noted that youth violence is a Canada-wide problem, and that sustained federal resources are required to best address this critical issue, as reflected in amendments to the Oct. 18 report, calling for Federal funding beyond 2026 to ensure the continuation of the strategy.

The Youth Safety and Violence Prevention strategy envisions a city in which youth feel safe, supported, connected, healthy and free of violence. It aims to address root causes of youth violence and identify community responses that effectively prevent its occurrence and recurrence.