One stop-shop for street youth officially opens today
Covenant House today officially opened Vancouver's first-ever long-term supportive housing program for street youth.
Covenant House Vancouver's Rights of Passage (ROP) program offers motivated youth aged 16 - 23 an opportunity to break the cycle of homelessness by providing them with an apartment, counselling and a resource centre all under one roof. The program is drug and alcohol free and street involved youth are only eligible for the program if they are working and/or furthering their education.
Attracting politicians from all levels of government and business leaders, the grand opening comes after a massive renovation to the site. The building at 326 Pender houses 44 bachelor apartments on three floors and is adjacent to a 6,000 storefront space which has been developed into a Community Service Centre for street youth. The Centre will provide educational and vocational training, counselling, lifeskills development and more.
Covenant House assumed ownership and operation of the building formerly known as the VanCity Place for Youth in April, 2001. In that short time, private donations and federal government funding through the National Homelessness Initiative of the Government of Canada and CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) have funded over $1million in renovations.
Says board chair John Windsor, "this is a program worthy of investment - one that will produce considerable dividends when these kids move through the ROP program and come out as tax-paying citizens with a healthy and prosperous future in front of them". Windsor adds "most of these kids have come from homes where there was either abuse or neglect, so having their own safe place with caring adults close-by is a real step forward".
The ROP program has proven to be a huge success at other Covenant House sites, with studies revealing that even after one year of leaving the program, 70% of kids still had jobs and secure housing.
For more information:
Michelle Clausius
Manager, Communications
604-685-5437 ext. 36 or
604-968-4425
Above: Hon. Claudette Bradshaw and youth
Above: Rights of Passage Suite
Above: Mayor Owen
Above: the Crowd at Opening Reception