'SleepOut Challenge' puts spotlight on 'hidden' homeless youth

College students across Ontario will spend tonight outside, hoping to raise funds and awareness for the thousands of homeless youth in the country.

Students from Canadore College in North Bay, Ont. will take part in the "SleepOut Challenge" event. They wantto make their owncommunity more aware of the increasing number of young people who are without a home.

Homelessness is an issue in northern Ontario communities, but is often not asvisible as it is in larger centres, says Dennis Chippa, the executive director of The Gathering Place,North Bay's community soup kitchen.

Funds raised during theSleepOutChallenge will go to this charity.

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"We have a hidden homeless population," Chippa told CBC's northern Ontario afternoon radio program, Up North, adding that a recent survey in February2016 found there were about 30 people in the community who had no place to stay.

Chippasays the soup kitchen and the city's warming shelter have seen an increase in people aged 15-25 since January.

I mean, we're northern Ontario, we don't have subway grates- Dennis Chippa

Homeless youth less visible

He said youth homelessness is even more difficult to see because they tend to be less visible, sleeping on people's couches.

"Wesee youth ... doing the couch surfing kind of thing, where they're going from apartment to apartment, and they're staying there for a few nights," Chippa said.

Youth can become homeless after leaving "a devastating situation within their own home," he added.

The soup kitchen has started reaching out to local high schools and post-secondary institutions to let young people know that they can come in for a hot meal and a warm place to stay if needed.

Chippa saysmanycommunities in the north would be surprised to learnthey have a population of homeless young people.

"I mean, we're northern Ontario, we don't have subway grates where you would ... physically see folks on the street," he said, adding that he's had teenagers tell him about staying in dumpsters.

"That's what we mean by the hidden homeless," he continued. "They're not sitting down on Main Street in North Bay saying 'I'm homeless and I need you to find me a place.'"

The Canadore College students' fundraising drive takes place tonight outside the college from 610 p.m.

Click here to listen to Up North associate producer Marina von Stackelberg's conversation about the'hidden homeless' in northern Ontario.