>>> WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS."

I'M JACK FORD.

AS THE CORONAVIRUS HAS CONTINUED

ITS ASSAULT ON OUR SOCIETY, ONE

GROUP IN PARTICULAR HAS BECOME

VERY VULNERABLE.

AND WE SEE THE PERSISTENCE THAT

THIS GROUP REQUIRES, THAT GROUP

IS THE YOUNG HOMELESS, YOUNG

ADULTS, PARTICULARLY ASSISTED IN

THE DANGERS OF THE CORONAVIRUS.

YOUNG HOMELESS PEOPLE.

WE'RE PLEASED TO HAVE JOINING US

RIGHT NOW, NANCY DOWNING WHO IS

THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE

COVENANT HOUSE IN NEW YORK.

SISTER NANCY JOINS US EXAMINING

POVERTY IN AMERICA.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>> THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING

TODAY.

>> IT'S ESTIMATED THAT IN ANY

GIVEN YEAR ON AN ANNUAL BASIS

WE'LL SEE 4.2 MILLION YOUNG

PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 13

AND 24 EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS.

4.2 MILLION.

I CAN'T EMPHASIZE THAT ENOUGH,

BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE

THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS.

THEY THINK THEY CAN JUST GO BACK

HOME TO THEIR PARENTS.

AND IT'S JUST NOT THE TRUTH.

>> LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THIS,

BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS

IMPORTANT AND AN IMPORTANT

DISTOIDI

DISTINCTION TO MAKE.

THERE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE

HOMELESS WITH THEIR FAMILIES,

AND THEN OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE WHO

ARE HOMELESS ALONE.

THAT NUMBER YOU JUST GAVE VUS, S

THAT THE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE

HOMELESS ALONE?

>> YES, THEY DO NOT HAVE AN

ADULT WITH THEM AT THE TIME.

>> LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT

COVENANT HOUSE, JUST FOR SOME

BACKDROP HERE AND THEN I WANT TO

GET INTO SOME SPECIFICS.

BUT WHAT TYPES OF SERVICES ARE

PROVIDED BY COVENANT HOUSE?

>> SO WE'RE BEST KNOWN FOR

PROVIDING SHELTER TO YOUNG

PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCE

HOMELESSNESS AND YOUNG PEOPLE

WHO HAVE BEEN TRAFFICKED.

BUT I THINK MORE THAN SHELTER,

WE PROVIDE ALL OF THE BASIC

NEEDS FOR A YOUNG PERSON WHEN

THEY COME THROUGH OUR DOOR WE'RE

FIRST ASKING THEM, YOU KNOW, DO

YOU NEED SOMETHING TO EAT?

DO YOU NEED TO TAKE A SHOWER?

DO YOU NEED FRESH CLOTHE

SOMETHING DO YOU NEED TO JUST

SLEEP FOR A WHILE?

AND THEN TALK WITH US ABOUT SOME

OTHER NEEDS.

SO WE'RE FOCUSING ON NOT JUST

THEIR BASIC NEEDS, THE NEED FOR

SHELTER, FOOD, CLOTHING, WE'RE

LOOKING AT MEDICAL NEEDS.

MANY OF THEM HAVEN'T SEEN

DOCTORS FOR A LONG TIME AND HAVE

HEALTH CARE ISSUES FROM BEING

OUT ON THE STREETS HOMELESS.

MANY HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

EITHER FROM THE TRAUMA OF BEING

HOMELESS OR THE TRAUMA OF HAVING

VIOLENCE IN THEIR FAMILIES OR IN

THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, OR THEY

COME WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

THAT ARE NOT RELATED TO THE

HOMELESSNESS THAT ARE FURTHER

EXACERBATED BY HOMELESSNESS.

SO WE HAVE STRONG MENTAL HEALTH

SERVICES FOR THEM.

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES ARE

CRITICAL FOR THESE YOUNG PEOPLE.

MANY YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN

DISCONNECTED FROM EDUCATION SO

WE TRY TO GET THEM BACK INTO

SCHOOL OR GED CLASSES.

AND THEN OBVIOUSLY EMPLOYMENT

SERVICES ARE CRITICAL AS WELL

BECAUSE IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE ON

YOUR OWN, YOU NEED TO HAVE A WAY

OF EARNING MONEY TO BE ABLE TO

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

AND SO MAKING SURE THAT THEY

HAVE EMPLOYMENT IS A CRITICAL

NEED AS WELL.

AND IN ADDITION TO THOSE

SERVICES WE OFFER LEGAL

SERVICES, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

SERVICES AND A WHOLE HOST OF

OTHER THINGS WHEN THEY'RE WITH

US.

>> ON AN AVERAGE, HOW MANY YOUNG

HOMELESS PEOPLE WILL BE WITH YOU

IN COVENANT HOUSE NEW YORK ON A

PARTICULAR DAY?

>> SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE OVER 300

YOUNG PEOPLE STAYING WITH US.

SO WE HAVE ABOUT 130 STAYING

WITH US IN OUR SHELTER.

WE HAVE ABOUT ANOTHER 100 YOUNG

PEOPLE THAT ARE IN OUR

TRANSITIONAL LIVING PROGRAMS

WHERE THEY CAN LIVE FOR UP TO

TWO YEARS.

AND THEN WE HAVE CLOSE TO 100 IN

OUR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE

HOW'SIHOUSING

WHERE THEY'RE LIVING IN

APARTMENT SETTINGS AND LEARNING

TO LIVE ON THEIR OWN WITH

COVENANT HOUSE.

>> I MENTIONED IN MY

INTRODUCTION THIS IS A GROUP

THAT'S PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE.

WHY IS THAT SO?

AND LET'S FOCUS ON THE

CORONAVIRUS.

THE PANDEMIC HERE.

WHY IS THIS GROUP, YOUNG

HOMELESS PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY

VULNERABLE BOTH MEDICALLY AND

PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY?

>> SO, FIRST OF ALL, WHEN YOU'RE

HOMELESS AND ON THE STREETS YOU

DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHY

FOOD TO EAT SO YOU'RE NOT EATING

HEALTHY.

YOU DON'T HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO

SLEEP SO YOU'RE NOT SLEEPING

WELL, IF YOU'RE SLEEPING AT ALL.

YOU DON'T HAVE A FLIESPLACE TO

UP OR WASH YOUR HANDS FREE

KW

FREEQUENTLY.

AND YOU'RE EVEN MORE SO BECAUSE

YOU DON'T HAVE THE BASIC NEEDS

THAT YOU NEED TO SHELTER IN

PLACE.

WHEN FOLKS ARE TOLD TO STAY

HOME, THEY DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO

STAY.

THEY'RE OUT ON THE STREETS AND

MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ALL

KINDS OF ILLNESS, INCLUDING THIS

CORONAVIRUS.

>> WE'RE SPEAKING ONCE AGAIN

WITH SISTER NANCY DOWNING WHO'S

THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF

COVENANT HOUSE NEW YORK.

WHAT ABOUT THE ENHANCED

SUSCEPTIBILITY FOR THE HOMELESS

IN GENERAL IN TERMS OF BEING IN

HOMELESS SHELTERS AND IN HOMES?

HOW DOES THAT ALL PLAY OUT?

>> SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE

LEARNED AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF

THIS VIRUS IS THAT WE HAD TO

PROVIDE -- NORMALLY WE HAVE

THREE TO FOUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN A

BEDROOM.

AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE CLOSED

DOWN OUR OFFICES AND MADE THEM

INTO BEDROOMS SO THAT WE CAN

MAKE SURE THAT EACH YOUNG PERSON

HAD SIX FEET OF DISTANCE IN

THEIR BEDROOMS SO THAT WE HAVE

MAYBE TWO OR THREE YOUNG PEOPLE

IN A BEDROOM SO THAT WE'RE

GIVING THEM MORE SPACE SO THAT

WE'RE NOT MAKING THEM MORE

SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE VIRUS WHEN

THEY'RE IN OUR SHELTER.

WE WANT THE SHELTER TO BE A SAFE

PLACE FOR THEM TO BE.

SO THEY DON'T HAVE A BIG

CONGREGATE ROOM WHERE THEY'RE

ALL -- THEY'RE SEPARATE BEDROOMS

AND WE HAVE ONLY TWO TO THREE IN

A BEDROOM WITH SIX FEET OF

DISTANCE BETWEEN THEM.

IN OUR GENERAL SPACES, WE'RE

MAKING SURE THEY'RE WEARING

MASKS, KEEPING SIX FEAST

DISTANCE, THE SAME WITH OUR

STAFF, BUT ALSO WE'RE CLEANING,

ENDLESSLY CLEANING THROUGHOUT

THE DAY.

WE EVEN PURCHASED ONE OF THE

ELECTRO STATIC SPRAY GUNS TO BE

ABLE TO SPRAY DOWN LOCATIONS

LIKE THEY DO IN THE HOSPITALS TO

MAKE SURE WE'RE GIVING EXTRA

CLEANLINESS TO THESE FACES TO

ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR STAFF

AND YOUTH IN THE SHELTER.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE SEEN

FREQUENTLY WHEN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN

TALKING ABOUT THIS STAYING AT

HOME IS THE NOTION OF -- THE

IDEA OF BEING AT HOME WITH

FAMILY AND SHARING WHAT IS A

DIFFICULT EXPERIENCE.

BUT YOU HAVE FAMILY TO SHARE IT

WITH.

WE'VE HAD PEOPLE ON OUR PROGRAM

TALKING ABOUT PSYCHOLOGICALLY

HOW CAN THAT -- THAT CAN BE SO

SUPPORTIVE FOR PEOPLE IN TIMES

OF CRISIS.

SO, WHAT THEN DO WE SEE WITH

THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO DON'T

HAVE FAMILY TO SHELTER WITH?

>> YEAH.

SO OUR STAFF ARE HAVING LOTS OF

CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR YOUNG

PEOPLE.

THERE ARE RESIDENT ADVISERS THAT

ARE MEETING FREQUENTLY WITH

THEM, CASE MANAGERS.

WE ALSO HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF

SOCIAL WORKERS.

FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE FINDING

THIS PARTICULARLY TRAUMATIZING,

WE WANT TO ENSURE FROM AN

EMOTIONAL STANDPOINT THAT THEIR

EMOTIONAL HEALTH IS WELL CARED

FOR.

WE HAVE OUR SOCIAL WORKERS ON

CALL PRETTY MUCH AROUND THE

CLOCK SO THAT IF A YOUNG PERSON

IS GOING THROUGH SOME KIND OF

TRAU

TRAUMA OR REACTION, THERE'S

SOMEBODY THERE THEY CAN TALK TO.

BUT OUR STAFF ARE DOING A

WONDERFUL JOB OF BEING PRESENT

WITH THEM, SITTING AND LISTENING

TO THEM, HAVING LISTENING

SESSIONS.

OUR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT TEAM IS

ALSO WORKING WITH THEM.

SOMETIMES IT'S OVER JUST A

CAUSAL CONVERSATION, SOMETIMES

IT'S OVER A CARD GAME.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THINGS

PRETTY NORMAL FOR OUR YOUNG

PEOPLE, AS NORMAL AS WE CAN.

HAVING GAME NIGHTS, WAYS THAT

WE'RE INTERACTING WITH THEM THAT

ARE MORE PLAYFUL AND FUN, BUT IN

SMALLER GROUPS WHERE THERE'S SIX

FEET OF SEPARATION BETWEEN US.

AND SO THERE'S LOTS OF LITTLE

GROUP INTERACTIONS HAPPENING.

WE HAVE ARTWORK, YOU KNOW, ART

CLASSES THAT ARE HAPPENING WITH

THEM TO GIVE THEM THAT AS AN

OUTLET.

MUSIC TO GIVE THEM AS AN OUTLET.

SOME WRITING WITH A VIRTUAL

WRITING TEACHER WHO COMES SO

THAT FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO

FOR POETRY IS A DESIRE FOR THEM

OR A TALENT FOR THEM, I SHOULD

SAY.

THEY HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.

BUT TRY TO MAKE THINGS AS

NORMALIZED AS WE CAN FOR THEM

AND OFFERING THE MOST BASE

WHEN'S THEY HAVE THOSE MOMENTS

WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE THEY NEED TO

TALK THAT THEY HAVE SOMEONE TO

SHARE WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE.

>> HAVE YOU SEEN AN UPTICK IN

THE NUMBER OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE

WHO ARE COMING TO YOU IN THE

LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS SINCE

THE -- SINCE THE CORONAVIRUS

PANDEMIC HAS STRUCK?

>> WE'VE SEEN A PRETTY STEADY

FLOW OF YOUNG PEOPLE COMING IN.

WE HAVE NOT HAD TO TURN ANYONE

AWAY BECAUSE OF SPACE SO WE

STILL HAVE THE BEDS AVAILABLE.

SO WE'RE FEELING THAT WE'RE VERY

FORTUNATE IN THAT WAY.

CONCERN IS THAT IN THE MONTHS TO

COME.

IT ECONOMY DOESN'T TURN TO THE

BETTER VERY SOON, WE PROBABLY

WILL SEE MANY MORE YOUNG PEOPLE

COME TO US AS WE DID WITH THE

ECONOMIC DOWNTURN BACK IN 2008.

THAT'S THE CERTAIN GOING FORWARD

IS THAT WE MAY SEE A HUGE INFLUX

OF YOUNG PEOPLE NEEDING OUR

SERVICES.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO PREPARE FOR

THAT AS WELL.

>> WOULD YOU HAVE CURRENTLY THE

AVAILABILITY, THE FACILITIES,

THE WHEREWITHAL TO HANDLE AN

INCREASE, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE

ON PEOPLE COMING TO YOU?

>> WELL, IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE A

CHALLENGE FOR US.

I MEAN, WE HAVE THE ABILITY,

WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF A BUILDING

PROJECT AS WELL AT THIS MOMENT.

SO WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF

BUILDING A NEW FACILITY.

ONE THAT WE'RE IN IS RATHER

DATED, SO IT WILL BE A BIT OF A

CHALLENGE FOR US, BUT WE WILL

ZO

CERTAINLY DO EVERYTHING THAT WE

CAN AND OTHER PARTNERS IN THIS

FIELD TO MAKE SURE EVERY YOUTH

HAS A SPACE, A SAFE SPACE WHEN

THEY NEED IT.

>> YOU MENTIONED EARLIER SOME OF

THE THINGS THAT YOU DO ARE

PREPARING THESE YOUNG PEOPLE TO

GET THEM BACK OUT INTO THE

WORLD.

BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT

WORLD IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE AND

WE DON'T KNOW WHEN ANYBODY CAN

TRULY GET BACK OUT INTO THAT

WORLD.

SO HOW DOES THAT UNCERTAINTY

IMPACT THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE

DOING?

>> WELL, THE DIFFICULTY IS MOST

OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN

VERY TRAUMATIZED IN THEIR SHORT

LIVES.

AND SO THIS IS JUST ADDING A

LAYER OF TRAUMA TO THEM.

SO IMAGINE THE YOUNG PERSON

WHO'S JUST GOTTEN OUT INTO THEIR

OWN APARTMENT, THEY'VE GOTTEN A

JOB THAT IS HELPING THEM TO STAY

IN THEIR AMOPARTMENT.

THEY'VE WORKED HARD TO GET TO

THAT PLACE AND SUDDENLY THE

CARPET IS RIPPED OUT FROM UNDER

THEIR FEET AND THEY'VE LOST

THEIR JOB NOW.

SO WE'RE DEALING WITH SOME OF

THAT TRAUMA THAT'S HAPPENING FOR

OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WERE JUST

GETTING GOING AND SUDDENLY THIS

HAS HAPPENED AND THEY'VE LOST

THAT GROUND THAT THEY FELT THAT

THEY GAINED.

SO WORKING WITH THEM IN TERMS OF

SAYING, OKAY, THIS IS A

MOMENTARY SETBACK, LET'S LOOK AT

WHAT'S THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY

THAT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR

YOU AND REALLY WORKING WITH

EMPLOYERS OUT THERE TO SAY,

LET'S NOT FORGET OUR YOUNG

PEOPLE OUT THERE.

SO UNFORTUNATELY RIGHT NOW, YOU

KNOW, IT'S SORT OF A MIXED BAG,

GETTING YOUNG PEOPLE EMPLOYMENT

RIGHT NOW, THE EMPLOYMENT THAT'S

AVAILABLE IS IN WAREHOUSES AND

SUPERMARKETS AND THOSE TYPES OF

PLACES THAT NEED ADDITIONAL

STAFFING.

AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO GET YOU

SOME EMPLOYMENT THERE, BUT WE'RE

WORRIED ABOUT WHAT'S THE FUTURE

GOING TO BRING FOR EMPLOYMENT?

IN THE LAST ECONOMIC DOWNTURN,

OUR YOUTH WERE VERY NEGATIVELY

IMPACTED.

THEY COULDN'T GET BASIC ENTRY

LEVEL JOBS AT McDONALD'S.

SO WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT

THAT.

WE HAVE OUR EMPLOYMENT

SPECIALISTS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW

TRYING TO WORK WITH EMPLOYERS

THAT, YOU KNOW, AS THE EMPLOYERS

TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S NEXT,

BUT HAVING THEM HAVE IN THEIR

MIND THAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE,

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT NOT TO

FORGET THEM AS THE ECONOMY TURNS

BACK, HOPEFULLY, TO THE

POSITIVE.

>> LAST QUESTION THEN FOR YOU.

FOR ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING THIS

AND LISTENING TO OUR

CONVERSATION AND UNDERSTANDS

YOU'RE PRIVATELY FUNDED AND SAYS

THIS IS A GOOD CAUSE, HOW CAN

THEY HELP?

>> WELL, CERTAINLY THEY CAN GO

TO COVENANT HOUSE.ORG AND

THERE'S A DONATE BUTTON THERE

THEY CAN SEE ALL OF THE WORK

THAT WE'RE DOING, IF THEY WANT

TO KNOW MORE ABOUT US.

THAT'S ONE WAY THEY CAN HELP.

IF THEY WANT TO ORGANIZE, WE DO

SEVERAL -- THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

WE'VE HAD TO GOING GO TO DOING

VIRTUAL SLEEPOUTS, SO THEY CAN

ORGANIZE FAMILY AND FRIENDS DO A

SLEEPOUT IN THEIR BACKYARD AND

RAISE FUNDS THAT WAY.

IF THEY WANT TO GO TO SLEEPOUT

AMERICA.ORG, WE HAVE ALL OF THE

TOOLKIT AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO

LEARN ABOUT YOUTH HOMELESSNESS,

BUT ALSO IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY

FOR THEM TO RAISE FUNDS FOR

HOMELESS YOUTH.

>> RIGHT.

WELL, AGAIN, IT'S WONDERFUL WORK

BEING DONE BY COVENANT HOUSE.

CHALLENGING WORK, CERTAINLY IN

THIS CHALLENGING TIME.

WE APPRECIATE YOU SPENDING TIME

TALKING WITH US AND GOOD LUCK TO

YOU ALL IN THE FUTURE AS YOU

MOVE FORWARD.

THANK YOU AGAIN.

>> WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> ONCE AGAIN, NANCY DOWNING,

DIRECTOR OF COVENANT HOUSE IN

NEW YORK.

YOU BE WELL, SISTER.

TAKE CARE NOW.

>> YOU TOO.

TAKE CARE.

BYE-BYE.