The Power of Prevention: Ending Youth Homelessness Before It Begins

Prevention is the most powerful tool we have to end youth homelessness. Without decisive intervention, rates could triple in the next ten years. Covenant House has a bold, achievable plan to change that trajectory and instead cut youth homelessness in half by 2035, starting with one clear priority: prevention. This will take more than bold action alone; it will also require targeted and substantial investments and strategic public-private partnerships to make that vision a reality.

 This exclusive forum will convene leading researchers, young people with lived experience, and frontline practitioners to examine systemic drivers such as family rejection and school-based challenges. Covenant House will share an exclusive first look at Preventing Youth Homelessness in Highly Marginalized Populations, breakthrough research that elevates the voices and experiences of more than 400 young people facing homelessness. Together, we’ll examine how the social determinants of health (factors like economic stability, education, community context, health care access, and neighborhood environment) contribute to homelessness, and how Covenant House seeks to bolster strategies that promote upstream prevention.