Covenant House Expands to Help Vulnerable Youth

Youth Outreach Shelter Special Needs

Covenant House Vancouver (CHV) is the main provider of residential and outreach services for unhoused and at-risk youth in Vancouver, some with mental illness. The expansion to two buildings includes a mid-rise building of 5-storeys on the 1302 Seymour site and 10-storeys on the larger 1280 Seymour site.

This project is a partnership between CHV, BC Housing and the Province. Beyond providing shelter for at-risk youth, a major focus of the Covenant House Vancouver renewal program is to provide needed support services. These include recreation (gym and fitness), classrooms, spaces such as art and music therapy, kitchen / dining, administration offices, counselling offices, a day program, and a health clinic.

Although separate buildings with different programs, CHV’s two buildings to have a common design language so that they are easily identifiable as belonging together.

Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2017.

“…to ensure that vulnerable young people in our province have access to the supports and services they need to build the life that they deserve — whether that be a safe place to sleep at night, mental-health and substance-use counselling or help finding work or training opportunities.”

– Stephanie Cadieux, Minister of Children and Family Development