In 2023, 4% of homeless people in California were between 18 and 24, according to a study by the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at the University of California San Francisco.
While a relatively small portion of the state’s homeless population, those in this age group face unique challenges. A local chapter of a nonprofit focused on homeless people ages 18 to 25 aims to ensure they avoid the pitfalls that lead to chronic homelessness.
In June 2021, Covenant House opened a new shelter in Santa Clara, located at 2250 El Camino Real. Regardless of the reason a young person is homeless — gaps in the foster care, escape from human trafficking, mental illness, or the area’s lack of affordable housing — specialists at Covenant House give them a place to stay.
Shelby Booker, director of strategic initiatives at Covenant House, said the shelter is providing a critical need for young people, allowing them a place to address issues unique to their situation. Because many homeless young adults have been trafficked or fallen through the gaps of the foster system, they need a place of their own.
“Young people don’t feel safe. They don’t want to be in an adult shelter. We have heard time and again it is not a safe space,” Booker said. “We are here to let young people know there are trusting, safe adults in this world … We are showing them how to continue building on those relationships, not just with us.”
Located at the abandoned Western Motel through a deal with the county, Covenant House focuses on five core outcomes: housing, education, employment, social-emotional well-being and permanent social connections.
Funded through two main grants, Covenant House hosts 30 beds and 30 rapid rehousing beds, offering support for homeless young adults to move into their own apartments, providing rental assistance for up to two years. Another three beds are allocated for parents.
Employees work with residents toward family goals, helping residents reconnect with family, if they choose. Some residents have children while others are looking to reestablish relationships with their parents or other family members, Booker said.
From Resident to Employee
Alyssa Ceniceros lived at the shelter for a year-and-a-half. She was the first Covenant House resident with children. Although she has been on her own for roughly three years, she recently returned as an employee.
“In that meantime, the Covenant House is a home for me and for my kids. It always has been,” she said. “When I first came, I was really nervous, and they were very welcoming and warming … Seeing how my kids liked it and how they were already interacting with my kids, it just made me feel very seen.”
Ceniceros, who recently turned 26, said she has been with Covenant House for about a month. She acts as a liaison for the center, checking in on residents’ mental wellness, encouraging them to assimilate into the shelter’s community through activities such as playing board games or assisting with life skills such as cooking.
Employees at Covenant House helped get her into the Bill Wilson Center’s rapid rehousing program that offers rental assistance for a year. She said the vibe at the shelter really shifted her attitude toward being homeless.
“My pride was so strong I didn’t want to put myself in this situation, to put myself in a shelter with my children,” she said. “I am glad I did, because I met a lot of wonderful people in my journey to find myself as they were finding themselves as well.”
While they are doing a job, the welcoming atmosphere made Ceniceros realize the employees at Covenant House actually care what happens to everybody that comes through the shelter. As an employee herself, she is paying that hospitality forward.
The Good Fight
Through a plethora of employees — a youth engagement specialist, case managers, residential manager, community involvement coordinator — Covenant House offers residents everything they need to re-assimilate for free.
“Housing is just the beginning. It is what we can do after that to continue supporting young people,” Booker said. “We are preventing these people from becoming adults that are experiencing chronic homelessness.”
Open 24 hours year-round, the site features a horseshoe-shaped courtyard with swings, picnic tables, murals and basketball hoops.
The goal, Booker said, is to make the shelter feel like a “place of community and solitude,” a place where residents can — but are not required — to socialize. The site even has its own kitchen, where residents can cook their meals and even prepare food for other residents.
Using grant money to fund operations limits what the nonprofit can purchase for its residents. Many things, such as steel-toe shoes for work, cannot be paid for with public money. As a result, Covenant House is always seeking donations with more flexibility, allowing Covenant House to purchase items the grants don’t cover.
In-kind donations, such as guitar lessons or anyone passionate about teaching something fun, are always welcome, Booker said. Covenant House is seeking donations for its holiday boutique, a makeshift kiosk mall that offers residents the opportunity to select holiday gifts for their loved ones.
Booker emphasized the importance of awareness for young-adult homelessness and being engaged with those around us. In that way, she said, we are better able to recognize the red flags of a young person in distress.
“When we think of people experiencing homelessness, we don’t usually think of young people. They blend in. They are going to look different than we think of a person experiencing homelessness,” Booker said. “They are unseen. Because they are unseen, it is so important to shed a light.
“Acknowledging someone’s existence as a human does so much good,” she continued. “Have a conversation. You can ask a stranger how they are doing. It is OK. People know when something is not all right. Sometimes we are afraid to ask.”
To learn more about Covenant House visit https://covenanthousecalifornia.org/about-us/.
What an amazing program!