Covenant House Pennsylvania, a nonprofit organization providing shelter, housing programs and supportive services for young people, opened a new facility in Germantown this month. 

The transitional housing program, titled Rights of Passage II, at 5603-05 Germantown Ave., offers 12 new transitional living units for unhoused youth, 18-24, in the Philadelphia area. The effort is part of what Covenant House calls its “commitment to making youth homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring.” 

Alexia Clarke, CEO of Covenant House, said in a press release, “The opening of Rights of Passage II represents a critical investment in Philadelphia’s youth. … Every young person deserves a safe place to call home and the support to build a brighter future. This expansion is a testament to our commitment to ending youth homelessness and empowering young people to thrive.”

In fiscal year 2024 (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024) Covenant House Pa. served 2,057 youth across all programs and services, including: 416 youth in residential programs, 886 through street outreach, 739 through education and prevention efforts, and 21 through their transitional housing program. 

Jnyah Walker turned 21 the day she moved into Covenant House’s transitional housing program. Before that, she was homeless, and bounced between houses. 

Walker told the Local, “(Covenant House) allowed me to save up. It allowed me to get my mental state back together. I am now happy, I am more energetic. I was so tired, so sad, and didn't eat a lot. Now, I eat every single day. It's been a great help. The Covenant House is just the greatest thing in the world.”

Covenant House helped Walker get a job at a shoe store, saving money while she lived at the program. Six months later, Walker saved up enough to get her own place and is switching to a new job caring for kids at a children’s hospital. 

To anyone dealing with a similar situation, Walker said, “Keep your head up, because it might be hard, sometimes you might want to cry, you want to give up. You keep your head up, I promise everything will go great.” 

She continued, “I literally cry every day because I'm now able to move on and everything. So I want to say thank you so much. I love every last one that helped me during my problems.” 

Covenant House’s programs also provide medical and psychological care, along with helping youth enroll in school. In a statement sent to the Local, Covenant House PA said they are “especially proud that 81% of youth exiting transitional housing moved on to stable housing, and nearly half were employed or enrolled in school at exit.”

Since 1999, Covenant House Pa. said they have served more than 53,000 youth through “our housing-first, trauma-informed continuum of care.” Rights of Passage II will expand the transitional housing program to 33 units. 

The new building was formerly Asher’s Candy store and factory, opening in the late 1800s. Before the project began in 2016, the building was purchased by the Weiner Family Foundation, who donated the use of the space to Covenant House for Rights of Passage II. 

Looking for a way to contribute to Covenant House, Dani Weiner, a real estate broker and representative of the Weiner Family Foundation, saw the then-vacant building while driving on Germantown Avenue. 

He told the Local, “I had noticed that this building was actually vacant and up for sale, and it sparked my attention in terms of the possibility and thinking outside the box. Maybe that could be our contribution, maybe there's some potential there. Maybe we can expand this whole footprint and do something really wonderful.” 

Dani’s mother Bonnie, one of the founders of the Weiner Family Foundation, told the Local, “We always loved Covenant House, and we were very interested in anti-trafficking movements. Unfortunately, when a young person is on the street, they can get trafficked after 24 to 48 hours. So that's why we got involved.” 

Covenant House’s history

Rights of Passage II joins Covenant House’s other Germantown location, which operates as a shelter, along with another transitional housing program (Rights of Passage I), in the city’s Kensington neighborhood. 

At the ribbon cutting, Hugh Organ, chief program officer for Covenant House Pa., said, “The beauty of Covenant House is when we started, we made a commitment to the neighborhoods we moved into. We made a commitment to Kensington, and we've been in Kensington for 25 years. We made a commitment to Germantown, and we've been here for 24 years.” 

He added, “Transitional housing is so important because the first time they have to pay rent or the first time the power goes out in the house, or there's a leak, there's no one to call for advice, for help. For a lot of our young people, they don't have someone they can call for that information. … Our transitional housing program allows them to be in their own space and learn some skills.” 

Ribbon cutting

The ribbon cutting on Wednesday, June 18, saw a large turnout, with attendees packing into the main room at Rights of Passage II. In attendance were representatives from the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which partially funded the project. 

Michael Cogbill, a representative from City Councilmember Cindy Bass’ office, spoke at the ribbon cutting and said, “On behalf of Councilwoman Bass, we support Covenant House in this district, in this neighborhood. We are so happy to have you in the [eighth district]. … You guys never discriminated against LGBTQIA youth, African American youth, youth with criminal records. You guys are accepting of everybody, the work that you do is so liberating in this community.” 

He added, “I couldn't imagine trying to graduate high school without a place to live, and I had so much and barely did. So I don't know how these young folks do it. I'm so grateful for y'all, and the councilwoman is as well.”

Funding challenges

For Covenant House Pa., funding these programs is often a challenge. According to the organization, housing young people 24/7 means managing significant costs, such as utilities, maintenance, pest control, building repairs, and safety infrastructure. Many of these expenses are not always covered by restricted grants or contracts, which are limited to specific services. 

In addition, providing care requires an ongoing investment into trained staff and volunteers. Limited resources means sometimes having to turn away those in need. In FY2024, Covenant House PA recorded 121 turnaway instances where youth sought shelter but the organization did not have enough space or resources.

In a statement, the organization said, “Covenant House PA is committed to never turning a young person away due to lack of funds — but with rising costs and ongoing uncertainty in funding, we urgently need more private support to sustain that promise.” 

How to get involved

Anyone interested in donating to Covenant House Pa. can visit covenanthousepa.org. Along with monetary donations, you can provide gift cards to grocery stores, pharmacies, or big-box retailers. 

Those interested in volunteering or fundraising can contact development@covenanthousepa.org. 

Tommy Tucker can be reached at Tommy@ChestnutHillLocal.com.