Covenant House California

Progressive Housing and Specialized Youth-Specific Services for Young People Experiencing Homelessness in Orange County

In January 2022, CHC extended its services into Orange County offering 65 youth-specific housing placements through our Emergency Housing and Rapid Rehousing Programs for unsheltered youth ages 18–24. CHC OC’s services include: • Emergency Housing: a reserved bed, case management, residential supervision, crisis intervention, security, meals, mental health, substance use/recovery, educational, career and life skills, and engaging activities both on and off-site to build social, emotional, and physical wellness. • Rapid Re-Housing (RRH): RRH is a low-barrier, strength-based intervention offered without preconditions (housing first model) and offers different options for housing, supportive services and financial assistance quickly, ending their experience of homelessness and return to permanent housing. CHC Orange County Programs are delivered in a trauma-informed environment where the emphasis is placed on the journey to independence for each individual young person. Our core principles for serving young people: • Immediacy: We promptly meet the basic needs of a young person: a nourishing meal, bed, shower, clean clothes, medical attention, and a safe place to sleep. • Sanctuary: A safe place from the hardships of the street that also recognizes the worth of every human being by creating safe and open space where all youth are treated with dignity and acceptance. • Communication: Fostering a communicative environment based on love, respect, and honesty that can build healthy, trusting relationships. • Structure: Creating stability and structure necessary to build a positive future. • Choice: Giving confidence and encouragement to our young people to believe in themselves and make informed decision for their lives. Non-Profit & Government Collaborators: We work closely with the County of Orange, the City of Anaheim and other service providers to ensure a full continuum of care and reduction in duplication of services. CHC is deeply involved in the conversation around Orange County’s unhoused crisis and finding solutions towards ending homelessness. Staff Leadership in Orange County: Our staff leaders are experts in the field of youth homelessness, human trafficking, foster care, and trauma informed care for young people. Each individual brings decades of experience in these spaces with deep roots in the Orange County community. Led by CEO Fred Ali, Chief Program Officer, Ami Rowland, and OC Director, Polly Williams each of who also have extensive experience working with young people and communities in Orange County. Long-term vision: Young people in Orange County deserve every resource and opportunity to move from homelessness to independence. Building out our full continuum of support services from street outreach to permanent supportive housing will allow us to serve youth in Orange County the best way we know how, with dignity and state of the art practices and resources. Our current site is just the beginning of our commitment to the young people in Orange County. • How can you help? We are continuously looking for affordable housing and increased support services for our young people. If you are connected to a landlord open to renting to one of our young people, or perhaps a potential property that could support our growth – we would love to dream together! How the community can support our efforts in the short-term: • Financial Partnership – providing funds to directly support our current services. Be it a monthly gift from an individual, or a major investment from an individual, corporation, or foundation. All gifts go directly to supporting youth in Orange County on their journey to independence. • In-Kind Partnership – providing the items young people need to thrive. From food, hygiene products, bedding, new clothing & shoes, most young people come to us with the clothes on their back. • Community Connections – from opportunities for employment for our youth, to cooking meals on our site, volunteers and career connections are invaluable resources in helping our young people build their own communities of support.