Dylan Kelba (Covenant House youth) on personal experience and policy asks
Dylan Kelba, a 20-year-old Covenant House resident, shares that he came to the shelter seeking safety from a dangerous situation. Now on a waiting list for his own apartment and selling art, he urges the city to increase bed rates to $80,000, include youth in voucher program design, and restore guaranteed income funding.
Good afternoon, my name is Dylan, I'm 20 years old.
I came to Covenant House because I was in a situation that was extremely dangerous and I needed some safety and support.
What stood out to me immediately was how open and understanding Covenant House was.
The first question they asked me if I needed something to eat.
Currently, I am on the waiting list to get my own apartment, and I am an artist, and I've been selling art, and right now I've been thriving.
Today I'm asking the council to recognize the cost of providing support that organizations like Covenant House and other RHY providers offer.
I urge the city to increase the bed rate to currently, sorry, for current DYCD contracts to 80,000 per bed.
So these organizations have the resources to provide quality care.
I also ask the city to ensure that young people experience homelessness are not left out of the rollout of the new city housing vouchers.
You should have a voice in how these programs are designed, received outreach that speaks directly to their needs, and have clear referral pathways to connect them with available housing.
I also urge the City Council to restore funding for guaranteed outcome programs that provide youth people experiencing homelessness with direct financial support as they work towards greater stability.
Covenant House New York Cash with Care program shows promising results during the initial period, but continued investments is needed to determine whether these early outcomes can lead to meaningful long-term change.
Thank you for your time.