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Covenant House
Understanding and Serving Street-involved Youth

An estimated 500 to 1,000 youth live on the streets of Vancouver. Where do they come from and why do they remain on the streets?

As Manager of Program Services for Covenant House Vancouver, Jim Edwards has had 22 years experience to consider these questions and offer alternatives to help youth get off, then stay off, the street. Covenant House, which will soon open a transitional crisis shelter for youth in Vancouver, has sites in 17 other North American cities.

"The young people we see panhandling, sitting on the Art Gallery steps and sleeping in doorways on the Granville Mall come from every social, economic and religious background," Edwards states. "At the time they ran to the streets they believed they had no other choice. These are the youth who are running from family violence. They think the streets are the only safe place they can escape to."

Homeless youth consistently identify chronic family violence as a leading cause for leaving home, according to Dr. Bill McCarthy's 1995 study for the Ministry of Social Services. Approximately 70% of Vancouver youth questioned stated they had experienced physical abuse from a parent that resulted in being left bruised or bleeding.

With a dysfunctional home life the problems filter into other areas of a youth's life. Most indicated school was a waste of time. "It sucks.they teach you a lot of stuff that you're never going to use in your life.so, it's like, what's the point?", states one youth in McCarthy's study.

Failing in school and fearing abuse at home, it is understandable a young person would run. Once exposed to the streets, youth, with few employable skills, quickly fall victim to the harsh day-to-day life of survival. Ninety per cent report having spent at least one full day without eating, 80 per cent state they have often walked around all night, and 50 per cent state they have often slept in abandoned buildings.

Yet, once on the street they often find a family that replaces the one they have run from, thus giving them a reason to stay. "The street family, street brothers and sisters, meet the youths' needs for security, protection and belonging. This is often the beginning of an entrenchment and alienation that may last for years," says Edwards. Unfortunately, once on the street young people risk exploitation. While prostitution is a rare event for non-street youth, 30 per cent of street youth report having sold their bodies more than three times.

Once victimized, it is common among street youth to turn to hard drugs. While 21 per cent state they had used crack or cocaine while at home, 71 per cent said they used these drugs while living on the street. To buy drugs street youth often turn to crime. Seventy-four per cent reported having stolen and 80 per cent stated having sold drugs.

Once into the cycle of uncertainty, victimization, substance abuse and crime youth state they find little help to get out of street life. Until Covenant House opens in September there is no crisis shelter in Vancouver serving 19 to 22 year olds.

"When we open our doors to youth, Covenant House will provide an alternative to parks, abandoned buildings and associations with other people on the street who put youth at a high risk," Edwards says. "At Covenant House young people will be offered the opportunity to make choices in their lives, choices that include more than just survival."

by Lee Clarke