2023-2027 Strategic Plan - Covenant House Toronto

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Prevention

Work upstream to prevent more youth from experiencing homelessness and sex trafficking

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Key Initiatives

Work upstream with Toronto schools and child welfare agencies to reduce factors that may lead to youth homelessness
Work with young people to find safe housing options and wrap-around supports as an alternative to staying in a shelter
Offer individual and family therapy and referrals to community resources to help build supportive relationships
Expand our school and community awareness and education initiatives

Shelter & Emergency Services

Reimagine the shelter and emergency services to produce the best outcomes for youth

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Key Initiatives

Create innovative and flexible spaces that are welcoming, safe, inclusive, accessible and technologically enabled
Create spaces to better support youth with trauma, mental health and addiction challenges
Create residential programs and spaces that offer more privacy, safety, opportunity for relationship and community building and learning
Create a new youth wellness hub with a greater range of services and practitioners and emphasis on culturally appropriate services
Cluster-related programs and services together such as employment, training and education and mental health, harm reduction and medical services and create additional spaces for future programming or training initiatives

Transition, Community Housing & Supports

Ensure young people remain stably housed and thrive with housing and supports

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Key Initiatives

Expand our Youth In Transition program supporting young people living in the community
Add other specialized supports and continue pursuing partnerships to find innovative solutions to expand housing options and services
Continue to advocate to government and other community sector leaders for greater availability of, and access to, appropriate and affordable housing options

Sources:

Holliday SB, Edelen MO, Tucker JS. Family Functioning and Predictors of Runaway Behavior Among At-Risk Youth. Child Adolesc Social Work J. 2017 Jun;34(3):247-258.
“Pathway into Adult Homelessness”, Journal of Sociology, 2011
Covenant House Toronto Impacts of Limited Youth Housing, Accenture, August 2020.
CHT Crisis Shelter Annual Report, F’18 – F’22.
Covenant House Toronto Impacts of Limited Youth Housing, Accenture, August 2020.
Gaetz, S., O’Grady, B., Kidd, S. and Schwan, K. (2016). Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey. Toronto: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press.
Paula Goering, Scott Veldhuizen, Aimee Watson, Carol Adair, Brianna Kopp, Eric Latimer, Geoff Nelson, Eric MacNaughton, David Streiner & Tim Aubry (2014). National At Home/Chez Soi Final Report. Calgary, AB: Mental Health Commission of Canada.

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