How Covenant House Vancouver Supports 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth

by Rebecca Bollwitt Friday, July 24th, 2026 — 10:53am PDT

The #CHVCatchUp is a monthly series featuring the latest updates and news from Covenant House Vancouver, written by the CHV team. Miss604 is proud to be the Official Blog Partner of CHV.

Covenant House Vancouver offers a range of services that help 2SLGBTQIA+ youth thrive, through housing programs and wraparound supports that provide holistic care supporting all aspects of a young person’s life.

Covenant House Pride Vancouver — Covenant House Vancouver Pride – Photo Submitted

2SLGBTQIA+ Youth and Homelessness

Despite only representing 4% of the Canadian population, the Everyone Counts 2020-2022 research shows that the 2SLGBTQIA+ community represents 13% of the homeless population. Those who participated in the count cited that mental health challenges (from stigma and discrimination) and having conflict with a parent or guardian as among the reasons for housing loss.

In Canada, 25%–40% of youth experiencing homelessness identify as 2SLGBTQIA+. Family rejection is the most common cause of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth homelessness.

When searching for housing in the community, researchers believe that prejudice and discrimination are the reasons for the high rates of housing instability among 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.

This is why it is so important to have organizations that support 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.

How Covenant House Vancouver Supports 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth

Approximately 35% of the youth (age 16–24) that Covenant House Vancouver (CHV) serves identify as 2SLGBTQIA+. CHV’s housing programs and wraparound supports provide holistic care that supports all aspects of a young person’s life. Here are some of the ways that CHV supports 2SLGBTQIA+ youth:

Specialized mental health support: CHV’s mental health services are designed to help 2SLGBTQIA+ youth navigate trauma, depression, anxiety, and other challenges, through one-on-one and group supports, counsellors, art therapy, and access to a yoga/meditation room and a music room, to relax and self-express.

Community building and peer support: CHV offers peer support groups and community-building activities to help 2SLGBTQIA+ youth find connection and share their experiences. Their Drop-In Centre has monthly queer-specific nights, and they work with Qmunity resource centre.

Physical health and external social activities: CHV has fitness rooms and a gym for activities such as basketball, pickleball, volleyball, and badminton. There are also regular activities such as Seawall walks, soccer, Pride and other events and celebrations that youth can participate in. These activities create connections to others, help build community, and are a great way to decompress.

Safe and inclusive housing: CHV provides safe and welcoming spaces where 2SLGBTQIA+ youth can live free from judgement, discrimination, and rejection.

Staff training: CHV staff are provided with ongoing training, so that they can best meet the needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.

The results speak for themselves: 81% of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth at Covenant House Vancouver developed the skills necessary to secure or maintain housing. Covenant House Vancouver is a proud ally of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. If you’d like to learn more, check out their website, and look for them in the Vancouver Pride Parade.

Follow Covenant House Vancouver on Facebook and Instagram for updates.