Locations
Find Shelter Donate

Send a Message to Congress Today

Help bring an end to human trafficking

On June 10, 2025, in a bipartisan effort, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) introduced RHYTPA to the floor. Please take a moment to read this letter, and then sign it by adding your name and email address below.

Sad human trafficking survivor | Covenant House

TO:         
John Thune      
U.S. Senate

Chuck Schumer        
Senate Minority Leader U.S. Senate

As a proud supporter of Covenant House, I know how devastating the practice of human trafficking is on youth experiencing homelessness. I also know how rampant it is throughout our society — nearly 1 in 5 young people at Covenant House sanctuaries in the U.S. and Canada is a survivor of human trafficking, and nearly a third of Covenant House residents who are LGBTQ+ have experienced trafficking.

Today, I urge you to support the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2025 (S.2012/H.R.3856). This critical legislation reauthorizes and updates the federal Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) program to ensure that youth, young adults, and young families have access to housing and services that are necessary to exit homelessness and human trafficking.

  • Improves services for youth facing or experiencing homelessness.

  • Extends the allowable length of stay in Basic Center Programs from 21 days to up to 30 days.

  • Resolves the “20-bed rule” by providing flexibility on the number of allowable beds.

  • Increases age eligibility for transitional living services to the age of 25 and extends services to survivors of sexual abuse or trafficking.

  • Preserves and expands prevention and trauma-informed services.

  • Authorizes over $350 million per year for services for youth.

For over 50 years, RHYA has been the primary federal funding stream that supports community-based programs that help youth, young adults, and young families exit homelessness and/or human trafficking.

As a country, we can significantly reduce youth homelessness and human trafficking by passing the bipartisan, bicameral RHYTPA. 

With your support, we can the change lives of so many homeless youth and young families.

Thank you.