BATH, Maine — Morse High School Senior Olyvia Oxten didn't have a traditional trajectory in school. She was unhoused, and wasn't sure what she would do after leaving high school.
"We just didn't have anywhere to go, so I was staying with a friend for a very long time. I wasn't sure where I was going to be," Oxten said.
She started going to the Midcoast Youth Center in middle school, where she would do homework to get ahead after missing school.
"It just helped motivate me like someone was there to help," she said.
After seeking help through the center for years, she was the first person to get the call when the nonprofit decided to try something new.
Jamie Dorr, founder of the Midcoast Youth Center, said that new thing is a transitionary housing space, called the Step Up living program.
"I think transitionary housing means hope for young people growing up in circumstances beyond our control," Dorr said.
The transitionary housing space is designed to give 18 to 24-year-olds a safe place to live for up to two years while they acquire work and savings.
And for living expenses, Dorr said residents would pay rent by using 30 percent of their income, regardless of what their total income is.
"We're going to stay with you and help you navigate this really complex system," Dorr said.
And when the home, which can house just under a dozen people, got the green light, Dorr said Oxten was the first to move in. They notified her that same day.
"It's one of the greatest moments in my career to field that call with no barriers and no red tape," Dorr said. "It still gives me chills to this day."