Envision Realty & Covenant House Coming Together As A Community

As Canada’s largest agency serving at-risk, homeless and trafficked youth, Covenant House Toronto changes lives by providing the widest range of services and support to as many as 300 youth a day.  A national leader, they educate and advocate for change by influencing public policy and delivering prevention and awareness programs.

More than a place to stay, they provide 24/7 crisis shelter and transitional housing on-site and in the community, along with comprehensive services including education, counselling, health care, employment assistance, job training and after-care. To do all this, they rely on donors for more than 80% of their $30.6-million annual operating budget.
 
Their doors are open to youth 16 to 24 regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or the circumstances that have brought them to their doors.
 
Since opening their doors in 1982, Covenant House has served more than 95,000 young people.

Envision Realty Inc. Brokerage has decided to contribute to the community by donating a portion of our sales in support of at-risk, homeless and trafficked youth.

Our Broker of Record, Salar Taba, had a meeting and complimentary tour of Covenant House in October of 2018. He feels very strongly about giving back to homeless and at-risk youth as this is a very close cause to him. Salar realizes potential in every youth and their vulnerability. He would like every youth to have an equal opportunity at a bright future and, therefore, would like to contribute to this very important initiative.

Youth homelessness is a seemingly intractable problem in Canada, but the plight of street kids remains largely misunderstood.

Nationwide, in large and smaller communities alike, vulnerable youth find themselves with no place to call home – couch-surfing with friends, staying in shelters, in squats or on the street in alleys, doorways or parks.

Over the course of the year, the number of young people who spend some time homeless in Canada is as many as 40 thousand, and on any given night, there may be up to 7 thousand homeless youth.

Contrary to the stereotype that youth are on the street because they don’t want to live by their parents’ rules, most have fled or have been forced out of their homes where they experienced abuse and childhood trauma. Some 60% of homeless youth have had involvement with child welfare. Mental health issues are also a major factor in youth homelessness. At Covenant House, about 40% of their youth seek treatment for mental health. Certain significant groups of youth are over-represented, including Aboriginal youth, and in cities like Toronto, black youth. LGBTQ youth make up between 25-40% percent of the homeless youth population.

Homeless youth come from every part of the country and every background. About 64% of the homeless youth they see come from middle- and upper-income families, much to contrary belief. In a recent study, 40% of homeless youth were under 16 when they first experienced homelessness.

While young people may think running to the street is a solution, they soon find it can lead them on a dangerous, and often deadly, path. Desperate and alone, the young are easy prey to those who wait to lure them into drugs, sex trafficking and gangs.

With no fixed address, regular meals, clean clothes or showers, it’s hard to imagine going to school or finding and keeping employment. The majority of homeless youth lack the education, job experience or life skills to move to independence.

But perhaps their greatest challenge is their lack of the self-worth and the confidence to believe that they can succeed. Like all youth, homeless youth need the opportunity and hope to fulfill their potential. At Covenant House, they offer a wide range of services and support to become productive and successful adults.

Covenant House is a warm and welcoming space for youth. When youth come to stay at the shelter, they are taking the first step towards making positive life changes. They are given food, a clean bed and a safe place to stay, but also the guidance and support they need to determine their own bright future.

They have a 96-bed youth shelter that is spread over two floors: one for girls and one for boys. Each floor has several rooms in it and no room has more than three beds. The rooms are clean and bright. Most are doubles and some are singles. This goes a long way towards making our youth feel safe.

As the youth learn that they can trust and rely on Covenant House, they become more confident about accepting their guidance. When youth feel cared for, they begin to believe in possibilities for the future. 

Every donation to Covenant House helps youth age 16 to 24 tremendously. As previously mentioned, Covenant House relies on donors for more than 80% of their $30.6-million annual operating budget. For this reason, donating to this incredible initiative is so extremely important for them to continue their mission.

On behalf of everyone at Envision Realty Inc.,
we truly would like to thank you for reading this as
it is very significant and important to us.

Salar Taba,
Broker of Record

 & The Entire Team At Envision Realty Inc., Brokerage