Covenant House

Young people arrive at Covenant House with dreams that have been disrupted by homelessness. At the time of intake, 23% are employed and 22% are enrolled in school. Advancing educationally and preparing for the world of work are key to a young person’s prospects for leaving homelessness behind. Either directly or through referral, we guide youth to appropriate educational and vocational opportunities, matching each young person’s strengths and abilities with their career interests. Our Career Pathways pilot program in information technology is helping youth prepare for careers that offer a livable wage and room to grow professionally. Our workforce development program helps them hone the skills they need to join the workforce, become independent, and sustainably exit homelessness. In fiscal year 2024, about 1,900 youth enrolled or remained in school, 1,300 engaged in on-site education programs provided at Covenant House, 2,600 obtained or maintained employment, and 2,900 youth engaged i

Covenant House welcomes all young people facing homelessness with unconditional love, absolute respect, and relentless support. Our shelter doors are always open, 24/7/365. We have provided uninterrupted service to children and youth for more than 50 years, ensuring them shelter, nutritious food, clothing, safety, medical care, and mental health care — all needs that require immediate attention. Covenant House provides high-quality services and programs to meet those needs, stabilize each young person’s situation, and help them begin to consider their longer-term goals for education, employment, career planning, and stable housing. We welcome all young people who come to us for housing and help, regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. We are expertly equipped to respond to the unique needs of young survivors of human trafficking, those who identify as LGBTQ+, and those who are pregnant or parenting.

Covenant House’s transitional living programs, often referred to as “Rights of Passage” or ROP, are where young people take their boldest steps toward independence. Youth live in ROP for up to 18-24 months, where they tap into their potential and plan for the future. Our research shows that the longer a young person resides with us and takes advantage of our wraparound programs, the more likely they are to experience positive outcomes, including stable housing, gainful employment, and higher education. In our transitional living program, youth build basic life skills and financial literacy, participate in educational and vocational programs, seek employment with long-term advancement and career prospects, and work toward moving into their own safe and stable housing. Covenant House staff support each young person on their journey toward sustainable independence and a hope-filled future. In fiscal year 2024, our transitional living programs served 1,182 young people.

Our research indicates that approximately one in five youth residing at our U.S. and Canadian sites and more than one in two at our Latin American sites are survivors of human trafficking. Young people experiencing homelessness are vulnerable to traffickers, who prey on their need for love, support, a safe place to sleep, and food, to create a trauma bond with them. Covenant House has pioneered intake screening tools to quickly reveal a history of trafficking that, otherwise, young people may be reluctant to name. We meet trafficking survivors’ immediate needs for nutritious food, clothing, shelter, safety, and medical care. And we recognize their unique needs for extra levels of protection, including safe spaces at all our sites and safe houses at our sites. We also provide rigorous mental health care to help them process their experiences and reclaim their potential.

Homelessness impacts a young person’s physical and mental well-being in many ways, and because youth are still developing cognitively, physically, psychologically, and emotionally, those impacts can have deep effects. This is even more so for young people of color and those who identify as LGBTQ+, as they face unique challenges associated with racism and prejudice. Covenant House welcomes all young people facing homelessness with unconditional love and absolute respect and provides them with access to a range of health and well-being services that they can use to heal and rediscover their potential. Our trauma-informed, strength-based programs and services range from medical care at our on-site health centers to therapy, yoga classes, music lessons, religious and spiritual services, and sports. In these activities, young people retake control over their lives, build on their strengths, and nourish their self-confidence.

Covenant House uses a variety of platforms to inform and educate the public, government officials, and young people themselves about youth homelessness and human trafficking. We employ websites, social media, newsletters, school-based programs, talks, lectures, and peer-to-peer events across our federation to raise awareness of the causes and impacts of youth homelessness and of the signs that a young person might be experiencing homelessness or human trafficking. We also advocate locally and nationally for just laws that impact young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and for increased housing options that are affordable for youth. In fiscal year 2024, we reached 41,000 young people through our public education and prevention program.

Covenant House supports young people on their journey from crisis care to independence in an ongoing relationship that bolsters their capacity for independent living and prevents their return to homelessness. Our drop-in services for physical and mental health care and educational, vocational, and legal support remain available to many. We also help youth secure permanent housing by covering a portion of their rent, a portion that dwindles as their capacity for independence increases. Community apartments and rapid rehousing programs are an increasingly important part of our housing solutions, as are new models of affordable-for-youth housing such as our Linden Commons and Olive Tree Commons in California. In fiscal year 2024, we supported 737 youth in permanent housing.