Black Youth Housing Equity Summit 2025

Sub-Theme: Solidarity and Alignment for Black Youth Housing Equity

Morning Session

10:00 – 10:30 AM | S1.01 – Registration & Morning Snack: REST Team

November 20, 2025

10:00am

Participants arrive to register, collect event materials, and network over refreshments. Facilitated by the REST Team, this opening period provides an informal space for early relationship-building and peer learning. Use this opportunity to connect with potential collaborators and build a foundation of trust and openness for future work together

10:30 – 10:35 AM | S1.02 – Call to Order:

Dagma Koyi (Executive Director & Founder, REST Centres) and Justice Greggory Regis, Distinguished Visiting Professor, Former Regional Senior Justice, Ontario Court of Justice (Summit Co-Chair) Summit Co-Chairs and Hosts officially open the Summit. They welcome participants, set intentions, and introduce the vision behind the gathering. This moment establishes a clear sense of shared purpose and an invitation to engage fully in shaping outcomes.

10:35 – 10:40 AM | S1.03 – Land Acknowledgement: REST Team

Delivered by REST Centres, this acknowledgment situates the Summit on Indigenous territories and frames housing equity as part of a broader justice movement.

10:40 – 10:50 AM | S1.04 – Participant Introduction:

Dagma Koyi (Executive Director & Founder, REST Centres) and Justice Greggory Regis (Summit Co-Chair) Summit Co-Chairs and Hosts will lead an interactive welcome, inviting participants to introduce themselves and share what brought them to the Summit. This session lays the foundation for a collective identity, helping you feel personally included as part of a community shaping the future of Black youth housing equity.

10:50 – 11:00 AM | S1.05 – Opening Remarks:

Dagma Koyi (Executive Director & Founder, REST Centres) and Justice Greggory Regis (Summit Co-Chair). The session provides a strategic overview linking the Summit’s theme to REST’s vision and Canada’s wider housing system. It outlines how the day’s sessions fit together and previews opportunities for influence. Participants leave with a roadmap for the Summit, clarity on its objectives, and ideas for applying the learnings in their own contexts

11:00 – 11:15 AM | S1.06 – Solidarity Message: Government and Community in Partnership:

Hon. Graham McGregor, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism. This session reflects on how government and community can work together to dismantle systemic barriers in Black youth housing. It highlights opportunities where policy directions and funding streams can support local initiatives. Participants leave with insight into how government commitments and cross-sector collaboration can translate into tangible support for their work.

11:15 – 11:35 AM | S1.07 – Keynote Address: A Better Future for Black Youth:

Hon. Dr. Jean Augustine (PC, CM), Former MP & Social Justice Advocate. This keynote moves beyond recounting history to charting a bold future for Black youth in Canada. Dr. Augustine draws on decades of leadership in Parliament and community activism to illustrate how policy reform, grassroots mobilization, and youth leadership intersect to drive systemic change. Her stories of overcoming entrenched barriers show that advocacy is not an abstract idea but a set of concrete tools communities can use today. Participants will leave with vivid examples of how to frame their own advocacy, influence decision-makers, and position Black youth housing equity as a cornerstone of broader social justice work.

11:35 – 11:50 AM | S1.08 – REST Documentary Screening:REST Team

This short film captures the lived experiences of Black youth navigating housing precarity and homelessness. The screening amplifies youth voices and grounds the day’s discussions in lived reality. Participants leave with a deeper empathy and sharper insight into program design and advocacy rooted in lived experience.

11:50 – 12:10 PM | S1.09 – Youth in Action for Housing Equity:

Kurgeena Joseph, Representative of the REST Youth Council. REST Youth Council, together with Partner Agency Youth, share personal experiences, highlight systemic barriers, and call on participants to endorse the Youth Joint Statement. By centering Black youth as experts of their own realities, this session equips participants to integrate youth-led priorities into their own policies and services and to champion youth leadership in decision-making spaces.

12:10 – 12:30 PM | S1.10 – Featured Presentation: Black Housing Equity Framework: Dr. Marie Cecile Kotyk, Associate Professor, University of Calgary

Dr. Kotyk introduces a comprehensive framework for addressing anti-Black racism in housing and homelessness. Drawing on research and case studies, the presentation examines the generational impacts of discriminatory housing policies and their intersections with justice, health, and employment systems. By the end, participants leave with practical guidance for adapting the framework to their jurisdictions and integrating culturally responsive principles into their own work.

12:30 – 12:40 PM | S1.11 – Opening Session Wrap-Up:

Justice Greggory Regis, Distinguished Visiting Professor, Former Regional Senior Justice, Ontario Court of Justice (Summit Co-Chair). Justice Greggory Regis closes the morning session with reflections and key takeaways, consolidating what participants have learned and preparing them for deeper exploration of challenges and solutions in the afternoon. Attendees leave focused and ready to build on the morning’s foundation.

12:40 – 1:30 PM | Lunch Break

A catered lunch facilitated by the REST Team gives participants time for informal networking to deepen connections with potential collaborators.

Sub-Theme: Awareness, Challenges & Funding Solutions

Afternoon Sessions

1:30 – 2:30 PM | S2.01 – Panel: Demonstrating Overrepresentation and Innovations to Address Black Youth Homelessness

This panel examines the persistent overrepresentation of Black youth in homelessness systems across Canada. Using disaggregated data, organizational experiences, and culturally responsive models, panelists will expose systemic entry points and barriers that perpetuate disparities and showcase promising strategies for change. The discussion will illuminate the scope and scale of Black youth overrepresentation, unpack the factors driving disproportionate housing insecurity, and connect evidence to actionable program and policy reforms. By the end of the session, participants will leave with a clear understanding of how overrepresentation operates, practical examples of evidence-informed, culturally responsive approaches to reduce disparities, and concrete insights to strengthen their own programs, advocacy, and policy strategies.

Moderator: Danavan Samuels (Title and organization, Victor to include)

Panelists:

• Tahirah Simmons, Manager of Community Housing, 360°kids

• Grace Udodong, Executive Director, Oasis Youth Care Programs

• David Reycraft, Senior Director of Programs & Services, Eva’s Initiatives

• Ben Bempah (PhD), Operations Director, REST Centres

2:30 – 2:45 PM | S2.02 – Q&A Discussion – Panel 1

A moderated discussion inviting audience questions and reflections directly with panelists to deepen understanding of the data, innovations, and equity in practice. Participants leave with clarified insights and concrete next steps for applying panel learnings.

2:45 – 3:50 PM | S2.03 – Panel: Equity in Action – Transforming How We Fund Change

This panel examines systemic funding inequities that limit effective responses to Black youth homelessness, focusing on how traditional funding models often overlook or underfund community-driven, culturally informed approaches. Panelists will assess the structural barriers within Canada’s funding systems and explore how these can be reframed to align with grassroots leadership, amplify lived experience, and sustain long-term community impact. The discussion will surface practical ways to shift from rigid, top-down approaches to equity-centered, community-led solutions and propose innovative approaches for mobilizing resources that strengthen B3 organizations and Black youth outcomes. By the end, participants leave with a clearer understanding of how to access or influence funding streams, build stronger funder relationships, and advocate for systemic funding changes prioritizing Black-led initiatives.

Moderator: Amanuel Melles (Executive Director, Network for the Advancement of Black Communities),

Panelists:

• Steve Jacques, Commissioner of Human Services, Peel Region

• Adaoma Patterson, Director of Community Service Investments, United Way Greater Toronto

• Andrea Nemtin, CEO, Social Innovation Canada

• Alex Tveit, Co-Founder & CEO, Sustainable Impact Foundation

• Representative, City of Toronto (TBD)

3:50 – 4:10 PM | S2.04 – Q&A Discussion – Panel 2

Moderated audience questions, reflections, and knowledge exchange on transforming funding systems for equity. Participants leave with actionable funding strategies and partnership ideas to sustain Black youth housing solutions.

4:10 – 4:30 PM | S2.05 – Day One Wrap-Up: Reflections & Call to Action:

Dagma Koyi (Executive Director & Founder, REST Centres) and Justice Greggory Regis, Distinguished Visiting Professor, Former Regional Senior Justice, Ontario Court of Justice (Summit Co-Chair). A synthesize of the day’s lessons learned, call for participants to commit to systemic change, and energized for Day Two’s focus on actionable solutions. Participants are expected to leave with a clear sense of shared priorities and next steps.

4:30 – 5:00 PM | Evening Snack & Departure

Light refreshments served by the REST Team offer an informal close and networking opportunities to cement relationships formed during the day. Participants leave connected and motivated to return for Day Two.

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the original stewards of the various lands we are on. We also acknowledge our Ancestors. We acknowledge all those who toiled without compassion or compensation. We acknowledge all the Elders and community stalwarts whose shoulders we stand on as we build, share and learn together for our collective liberation and sovereignty.