Chapin Hall

Every young person has the potential for a fulfilling, successful life. But when teenagers or young adults, through no fault of their own, become homeless, it can undermine that potential—at great cost to the youth and to the communities in which they live. Chapin Hall and Covenant House, together with the youth they serve, are launching a project to preserve that potential and to radically change the trajectory of youth experiencing housing instability.

Covenant House, serving young people experiencing homelessness for more than 50 years, brings daily, hands-on expertise to this issue. Chapin Hall, the nation’s leading research and policy center on child and family well-being, has produced the most influential research on youth homelessness over the past 40 years.

As of November 2025, the two organizations are collaborating on Insight to Impact (i2i), a project that will be co-driven by youth served by Covenant House who will play an active role in shaping and creating ongoing research on youth housing instability. Through accurately documenting the paths in and out of homelessness, this research will improve prevention and expedite stability for youth, while also developing effective policy and practice approaches.

Youth homelessness requires a unique response because young people are still developing, are more vulnerable to human trafficking and exploitation, and are often affected by family conflict. This means they need support systems that are more carefully tailored than those for adults. We know that when young people have the stability and support systems they need, they can achieve their highest potential, succeeding as independent, thriving adults. Among the developing Insight to Impact projects are:

• Comprehensive, real-time data analysis of those served by Covenant House to clearly identify subpopulations at higher risk.
• Creation of a youth advisory board with Covenant House alumni to guide priorities, co-design tools and provide testimony.
• Development of detailed policy and practice approaches guided by lived experience and informed by current evidence.

Through combining this partnership with youth with lived experience and research expertise, this project aims to uncover unseen truths, influence national policy, and rapidly innovate solutions that end youth homelessness.  We will use real-time data to adapt faster, act smarter, and solve more deeply.

For more information on the Insight to Impact project, please contact Dr. Forrest Moore.