Covenant House Vancouver

Covenant House Vancouver provides food, shelter, clothing and counselling to the estimated 500 - 1,000 street youth in Vancouver.

Most of the young people we help have fled unspeakable abuse at home. Physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse have forced these young people on to the streets, in search of a better life. But the streets are no place for anyone, let alone our nation's youth. Violence, poverty, sex trade involvement and addictions are just a few of the horrors associated with street life. Life on the streets is a dead end.

Covenant House Vancouver opened its doors in September, 1997 in response to a study that revealed that there are over 10,000 (now 15,000) runaways reported in BC annually. The study also revealed that street youth were in desperate need of short-term transitional shelter and long-term supportive housing.

Compiled by Covenant House from On the Streets, Youth in Vancouver
prepared by Bill McCarthy for the BC Ministry of Social Services Global Information

• over 10,500 (now 15,000) runaways reported in BC annually
• 500-1000 youth on the streets on any given night through out the year

Family Backgrounds

• 70% of youth reported abusive family situations
• 30% of youth reported what we would consider normal family situations

Geographic Origins of Vancouver's Street Youth

• 37% are from the Greater Vancouver region
• 25% are from elsewhere in BC
• 38% are from elsewhere in Canada

Gender

• 58% of Vancouver's street youth are male
• 42% of Vancouver's street youth are female

Family Profiles of Vancouver's Street Youth

• 66% have lived with 4 or more family types (i.e. both parents, parent and step-parent, relative, foster home, group home)
• 40% come from families where there was alcohol abuse
• 30% come from families where there was drug abuse
• 70% come from families where there was physical abuse
• 62% come from families where there is a history of crime
• 81% have had to leave their home
• 60% have had problems in school
• 50% want to graduate from college or university
• 28% want to graduate from high school

Profile of Street Youth

• 80% have no work experience
• 75% have panhandled for money
• 94% have made money through criminal activities (i.e. shoplifting, dealing drugs, theft, prostitution)
• 90% have spent at least one day without eating
• 95% have walked all night at least once
• 80% have spent the night in an all night restaurant once
• 65% have stayed in an abandoned building at least once
• 90% report that their belongings have been stolen at least once
• 40% report that they have been assaulted at least once
• 93% have smoked marijuana at least once since leaving home (91% said it was a frequent occurrence)
• 71% have used crack cocaine at least once since leaving home (62% said it was a frequent occurrence)
• 39% had been charged with a criminal offense while living at home
• 55% have been charged with a criminal offense while living on the street
• 40% have attempted suicide at lease once (7% have tried more than nine times) since living on the street