Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Held to Announce New Residential Space for Youth Experiencing Homelessness at Covenant House Missouri

Covenant House Missouri celebrates the completion of ten additional bedrooms for the short-term shelter program on their campus. The non-profit organization is dedicated to serving homeless, runaway, and trafficked youth between the ages of 16-24 in the city of St. Louis.

“Our goal is to provide safety, security, and dignity to all young people in our housing programs. Creating a space where each youth has their own bedroom is in line with our values of inclusivity and will ensure our holistic services can meet the needs of all the youth in residence,” said Jessica Erfling, CEO of Covenant House Missouri.

The project increases the short-term residential program from ten double-occupancy bedrooms to twenty single-occupancy bedrooms. These individual bedrooms provide each youth with their own private space of sanctuary while they walk their path to a successful, sustainable, independent future. In addition to bedrooms, the construction includes additional restrooms, laundry rooms, offices, and common spaces.

"To see the renovated space for unhoused youth come to fruition is immensely rewarding," says Yusef Scoggin, St. Louis Director of Human Services. "The City of St. Louis is proud to support organizations that are working to improve our community. These additional bedrooms will provide safety and sanctuary for young adults who are taking the necessary steps to build an independent, successful future for themselves. This investment in the next generation of St. Louis leaders will benefit the city for years to come."

Covenant House secured $750,000 in funding for the construction. The City of St. Louis’s Division of Homeless Services awarded nearly $600,000 of that total to the organization via the CARES Act. Covenant House Missouri hired Impact Strategies and Oculus Inc. for the project's construction and design, respectively.