The Houston Metropolis Council accredited an extension of its settlement with Covenant Home Texas, directing $545,534 in federal and state grant funding to the group by means of March 31, 2027.
The fund attracts from three funding streams:
$344,284 in Homeless Housing and Companies Program – Youth funds
$175,000 in Emergency Options Grant funds
$26,250 in Group Growth Block Grant funds from the administration
The extra {dollars} will make sure the continuation of emergency shelter operations for 125 unaccompanied, homeless younger adults between the ages of 18 and 24, in keeping with metropolis paperwork.
Beneath the settlement, youth will obtain shelter and individualized case administration providers centered on stabilization, together with fundamental wants comparable to meals, clothes, and psychological well being help, in addition to long-term housing options.
The measure was beneficial by the Housing and Group Growth Division (HCD) and offered to the High quality of Life Committee in February.
Who wants housing in Houston?
In line with regional counts performed by the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, 3,325 individuals had been homeless as of the evening of Jan. 27, 2025, in Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties, a rise of 45 individuals from the prior yr’s depend.
Covenant Home Texas has been a key node inside The Means House, Houston’s native homeless response system, which is a community of over 100 companions, together with nonprofits and native governments, working to make homelessness uncommon.
Situated close to Downtown Houston, Covenant Home serves younger individuals ages 18 to 24, together with dad and mom with youngsters as much as age 5. Almost 70% of its guests and residents are African American, per workers.
The group lately accomplished a $55 million facility build-out designed particularly to prioritize youth.
The renewed metropolis funding will help Covenant Home’s multi-stage mannequin, which begins at its Youth Engagement Middle, a low-barrier, no-prerequisite drop-in area, and might lengthen by means of transitional housing and ultimately, impartial condo residing.
Felicia Broussard, Chief Philanthropy Officer, stated Mayor John Whitmire toured the brand new facility.
“Covenant Home Texas is exceptionally grateful for the continued help of the Metropolis of Houston. He [Mayor John Whitmire] additionally fell in love with the thought of answering homelessness skilled by youth in a really particular method. And he can now envision a fair higher resolution to fixing or ending homelessness on this metropolis, as we’re addressing 18 to 24-year-olds.”
Felicia Broussard, Chief Philanthropy Officer at Covenant Home
“Covenant Home Texas is exceptionally grateful for the continued help of the Metropolis of Houston,” Broussard advised the Defender. “He [Whitmire] additionally fell in love with the thought of answering homelessness skilled by youth in a really particular method. And he can now envision a fair higher resolution to fixing or ending homelessness on this metropolis, as we’re addressing 18 to 24-year-olds.”
The grant arrives as Covenant Home goals to amass its annual income funds of $9.5 million. Subsequent yr, per Broussard, the funds is predicted to achieve almost $11 million.
“Addressing psychological well being and bodily well being within the medical clinic, that’s one enormous method wherein funding shall be used secondarily, and secondarily, then they’re in a position to work on profession and schooling targets,” she stated.
Presently, Covenant Home depends on federal and state funding, in addition to non-public investments from foundations and people. Broussard added that metropolis grant agreements like this one are a vital piece of its working funds.
The providers funded below the settlement span a number of areas. On the well being facet, the group operates a no-cost clinic providing main care, together with physicals and STD testing, referrals for dental and imaginative and prescient care, and behavioral well being help. Partnerships with Baylor assist guarantee entry to remedy, and workers assist youth enroll in public well being packages so care can proceed past their time at Covenant Home.
Workforce improvement can also be embedded within the mannequin. Chief Workforce Officer Dr. David Sandberg described the objective not as inserting youth in any minimal wage place, however as setting them up for careers that may maintain paying hire and the on a regular basis prices of impartial residing.
Clint Lister, a long-time volunteer on the group, welcomed the brand new funding measure.
“The extra funds are persistently wanted because the social atmosphere round youth homelessness continues to evolve, and CHT should meet these new wants,” Lister stated. “Funds like this assist the ability enhance its capability, instructional help, counseling, life abilities coaching, programming, in addition to help workers initiatives.”
An extended-term settlement
Covenant Home has obtained funding from the Metropolis of Houston since 2009.
The brand new funds come as a part of a 3rd modification to an settlement, constructing on a sample of successive metropolis investments within the group.
Per metropolis paperwork, Covenant Home met 177% of its consumer objective and utilized roughly 76% of its funds as of November 2025.
The vote comes as Houston’s strategy to homelessness continues to spark common debates in council.
In 2025, the Houston Metropolis Council expanded a civility ordinance in sure downtown and East Downtown neighborhoods to ban sitting, mendacity down, or inserting private belongings on sidewalks at any time, with violations topic to fines.
Within the following months, the council accredited the acquisition of an east Houston property at 419 Emancipation Avenue for $16 million, dubbing it a “Tremendous Hub.” It was hailed as Houston’s first centralized “entrance door” connecting unsheltered residents to healthcare, psychological well being remedy, and everlasting housing. However the transfer drew backlash from space residents, who voiced considerations about public security and the affect on property values close to the shelter.
Whitmire has pledged to finish homelessness within the metropolis and final yr launched the Initiative to Finish Road Homelessness Fund, looking for a $70 million funding. As of Could 2025, the town had but to achieve $40 million towards that objective.
