Houston nonprofit Covenant House Texas, a Montrose-based organization that provides housing and support services to youth experiencing homelessness, opened its new, state-of-the-art campus last week. Located at 1111 Lovett Boulevard, the new 104,000-square-foot building is built on the site of the original facility, which was demolished in 2022.

The new facility will allow the organization to serve 50 percent more at-risk youth seeking shelter and access to resources to help them build independent lives away from the streets.

The $55 million facility is named The Jamey Rootes Campus in honor of the former Houston Texans president and longtime leadership volunteer for Covenant House Texas, who passed away in 2022.

In addition to marking the grand opening of the new facility, Covenant House Texas also welcomed its new CEO, Anthony Flynn.

“The transformation of this corner lot in the heart of Montrose is nothing short of breathtaking, especially when you think about the impact it will have in helping countless youth experiencing homelessness to find their pathway to independence and a brighter future,” said Flynn.

Designed by architecture, design and planning firm Gensler, the new, four-story building provides sleeping accommodation for up to 150 youth nightly. Soft materials, layered textures, wood tones, and warm colors are meant to create a nurturing and calming environment, while large windows create bright spaces and views of outdoor greenery, which is known to benefit mental well-being.

Youth will be able to access a variety of wraparound services located within the facility. An expanded, updated clinic space will allow the organization’s clinical staff to provide physical and behavioral health care, while a digital resources library, computer lab, music studio, fitness center, chapel, and outdoor gathering spaces offer a home-like atmosphere.

The facility was designed with built-in flexibility to meet changing needs. For example, an indoor basketball court can quickly be set up with cots for emergency overnight stays, such as during extreme weather events.

For 41 years, the faith-based facility has served youth ages 18 to 24, offering them a youth a safe haven, absolute respect, unconditional love, and a path to lasting independence. In addition to providing a place to stay, Covenant House Texas provides mental health and substance abuse counseling, educational and vocational training, transitional and permanent living programs, street outreach and prevention, pastoral ministry, parenting classes, and other services.

The new Covenant House campus was funded through a public-private partnership, with investments by the City of Houston and Harris County, as well as gifts from private foundations, corporations and individual donors to the nonprofit’s “Building for Life” capital campaign, helping the organization raise more than $52,000,000 of the $55,000,000 campaign budget.

  

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Covenant House opened its new Jamey Rootes Campus facility in Montorse last week.