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After five years of serving the homeless and at risk youth in Asbury Park, Covenant House will break ground on a home next week aptly named Rights of Passage.

Made possible through a partnership with Interfaith Neighbors who owns the land, the five-bedroom home will help homeless young men on the way to independence.

“The young people we have met and helped on the streets of in Asbury Park over the past five years are incredibly strong and resilient and have inspired us to do more,” Covenant House Executive Director Jim White said in a written statement. “When Interfaith Neighbors approached us with this partnership and the opportunity to provide permanent, stable housing, we welcomed the opportunity to serve more young people and provide them with the services they need and deserve.”

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held at 10 am. Thursday at the currently vacant lot located at 520 Prospect Ave. Following the ceremony we will hold a reception at the Kula Cafe located at 1201 Springwood Ave.

“This new building will be a place of help and hope to five young men who will live here full time,” White said. “It will be their home; a place for them to live while they go to work to school, and strive towards their dreams. We are grateful to Interfaith Neighbors for seeing the goodness and the potential in our homeless youth and stepping up to make a life-changing difference.”

The home will consist of five bedrooms with en suites, a communal living room and kitchen, and secured storage and bicycle racks in garage space. Residency will come with a probation period that requires tenants to adhere to a curfew, outline career and educational goals, create a budget and share in the home’s maintenance responsibilities. A staff member will be on site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and no alcohol, drugs, or overnight guest will be permitted.

“The Covenant House Rights of Passage project allows us to fulfill a long held desire to address the problem of homelessness experienced all too often in Asbury Park,” Infaith Neighbors Co Executive Director Paul McEvily said. “Homelessness of our young people is a problem we became aware of while administering the NJ Youth Corps of Monmouth County over the past ten years. This program will both address the short term problem of unstable housing and provide the youth with the training necessary to prepare them for a successful transition to independent living.”

The average length of stay is estimated to be 18 months said Covenant House’s Mary McDonald. The 520 Prospect Avenue lot was subdivided to accommodate a sister home for women should the development and program prove successful.

Interfaith Neighbors has constructed well over 40 detached, single-family, affordable homes throughout the city’s west side, with 39 of them still owned and occupied by the original home buyer or family, McEvily said.

“Interfaith Neighbors is excited to begin this collaboration with the Covenant House New Jersey that will address such an important issue for the youth of our community,” McEvily said.

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The Asbury Park Sun is affiliated with the triCityNews newspaper.

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