Covenant Living Communities & Services

A Faith-Based Nonprofit Offering a Full Continuum of Care Nationwide

Covenant Living Communities & Services is a nonprofit, faith-based senior living organization headquartered in Skokie, Illinois. A ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church, the organization traces its roots to 1886, when it was founded as the Home of Mercy in Chicago. It was known as Covenant Retirement Communities until a 2019 rebrand to its current name.

Covenant Living operates 20 senior living communities across 11 states, generally structured as Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), also known as Life Plan Communities. This model allows residents to move between independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing as their needs change, typically without leaving the campus. The organization states that residents of all faiths and backgrounds are welcome. Visit the official Covenant Living website to learn more, or view Covenant Living communities on Senior Care Finder to compare individual locations.

Company at a Glance

•     Headquarters: Skokie, Illinois

•     Founded: 1886, as the Home of Mercy in Chicago; a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church; rebranded from Covenant Retirement Communities to Covenant Living Communities & Services in 2019

•     Current leadership: David Erickson, President and Chief Executive Officer (since June 2024)

•     Approximate portfolio size: 20 communities, as of August 2026

•     States served: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Washington

•     Care and lifestyle options: Independent (residential) living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing/long-term care, rehabilitation, home health care (Medicare-certified, select markets), hospice (select markets), Life Plan Community/CCRC, and respite care

•     Ownership: Nonprofit; a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church

•     Official website: covliving.org

Senior Living and Care Options

Covenant Living's communities generally operate as Continuing Care Retirement Communities, offering a range of care levels on one campus. Depending on the community, options may include:

•     Independent living (residential living)

•     Assisted living

•     Memory care

•     Skilled nursing and long-term care

•     Rehabilitation services

•     Home health care and hospice, in select markets, in some cases available without requiring residency or an entrance fee

Not every community offers every care level. Families should confirm current care levels, entrance fee structures, and availability directly with the specific community. Families can also review independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing and long-term care options near them on Senior Care Finder.

What Makes Covenant Living Different?

A Ministry With Roots Dating to 1886

Covenant Living traces its history to 1886, when the Evangelical Covenant Church established the Home of Mercy in Chicago to care for the sick, orphaned children, and the frail elderly. That mission has since grown into one of the larger nonprofit senior living organizations in the country, while remaining a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

LifeConnect®: A Whole-Person Wellness Model

Covenant Living's LifeConnect program is designed to support residents' physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being, rather than focusing on physical care alone. The company positions this as central to daily life across its communities.

SAIDO Learning: A Distinctive Memory Care Program

SAIDO Learning is a structured cognitive stimulation program, built around simple reading, writing, and calculation exercises, that Covenant Living offers as part of its memory care and cognitive wellness programming. Learn more on the official Covenant Living SAIDO Learning page.

Growth Through Development, Affiliation, and Capital Investment

Covenant Living has grown through a mix of new construction, campus redevelopment, and affiliation agreements with other established senior living communities. Examples include its 2019 acquisition of a Tulsa, Oklahoma community now known as Covenant Living at Inverness, its 2021 affiliation with Three Crowns Park in Evanston, Illinois (founded in 1894), and a 2024 affiliation with a Tennessee nonprofit that brought the Shannondale communities in Knoxville and Maryville into the organization. In 2025, the organization closed on $146.4 million in tax-exempt bonds, rated A- by Fitch Ratings, funding roughly $85 million in capital projects including new independent living units at its Great Lakes campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a repositioning of assisted living and memory care at its Turlock, California campus, and completion of a redevelopment at its Northbrook, Illinois campus.

Access to Health Services for Life

Covenant Living markets a CCRC model in which residents have access to a continuum of care, and in some markets, home health and hospice services are available without requiring current residency or an entrance fee. Families should confirm which services are available on this basis at a specific community.

Faith-Based, but Open to All

While Covenant Living is explicitly a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church, the organization states that residents of all faiths and backgrounds are welcome, and it does not discriminate under the federal Fair Housing Act.

Signature Programs and Services

LifeConnect® is Covenant Living's branded whole-person wellness model, addressing residents' physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual needs across its communities. SAIDO Learning is a structured cognitive stimulation program offered as part of Covenant Living's memory care and wellness programming. Availability and specific implementation of both programs can vary by community; families should ask a specific location for details.

Life at a Covenant Living Community

Depending on the community and care level, residents may find:

•     Maintenance-free apartment or cottage-style residences

•     Multiple dining venues, including casual and fine-dining options at some communities

•     LifeConnect wellness programming addressing multiple dimensions of well-being

•     On-site chaplaincy and spiritual life programming

•     Access to health services for life, in some cases without requiring an entrance fee or residency

Because Covenant Living's communities vary in age, campus size, and recent renovation history, families are encouraged to tour the specific community they are considering and ask about current entrance fee structures, recent or planned construction, and which care levels are available on site.

What Residents and Families Say

Ratings for individual Covenant Living communities on Senior Care Finder vary considerably by location. Covenant Living at the Samarkand shows a rating of 5.0 out of 5 and Covenant Living of Cromwell shows 4.8, while Covenant Living of the Great Lakes shows a notably lower rating of 3.1.

Recurring positive themes across multiple communities include maintenance-free living, dining variety, spiritually oriented programming, and long resident tenure at established campuses. At the lower-rated end of the range, independent review sources for Covenant Living of the Great Lakes specifically point to recurring concerns about staffing levels and responsiveness, a pattern echoed across more than one independent review platform rather than an isolated complaint.

Because Covenant Living operates a network of individually established communities, some acquired or affiliated more recently than others, this range is not unusual for the sector. Families should review ratings and comments for the specific community they are considering rather than assuming a uniform experience across the organization.

Leadership

David Erickson is President and Chief Executive Officer of Covenant Living Communities & Services, a role he assumed in June 2024 following the retirement of former CEO Terri Cunliffe. Erickson joined Covenant Living in 2008 and most recently served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel before his appointment as CEO. He holds a law degree from Kent College of Law in Chicago.

Visit the official Covenant Living leadership page for the complete and most current executive team.

Recent News, Growth, and Recognition

Covenant Living of Northbrook Completes Major Redevelopment

Covenant Living of Northbrook completed a redevelopment project adding three new carriage home buildings with 36 apartments, along with a reimagined Town Center featuring two new dining venues and updated common areas, with a grand opening celebrated in January 2026. This update is drawn from Covenant Living's own 2025 annual report rather than independent news coverage.

New Cottage-Home Neighborhood Underway at Covenant Living of the Great Lakes

Covenant Living of the Great Lakes in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has broken ground on a new cottage-home neighborhood, part of the capital investment funded by the organization's 2025 bond issuance. This update is drawn from Covenant Living's own annual report and community social channels rather than independent news coverage.

Covenant Living at the Samarkand Named a U.S. News Best Nursing Home for 2026

Covenant Living at the Samarkand's skilled nursing and rehabilitation program received a high-performing designation in both short-term rehabilitation and long-term care from U.S. News & World Report's 2026 Best Nursing Homes ratings, based on measures including hospital readmission rates, staffing levels, and health inspection results. This announcement was distributed as a company release and republished by the Santa Barbara Independent, rather than reported independently by that outlet.

Covenant Living Closes $146.4 Million in Tax-Exempt Bonds for Campus Investment

Covenant Living closed on $146.4 million in Series 2025A tax-exempt bonds in the spring of 2025, rated A- by Fitch Ratings, to fund approximately $85 million in capital projects across its portfolio, including expansion at its Great Lakes and Turlock campuses and completion of its Northbrook redevelopment. Reported by Ziegler, the investment bank that arranged the financing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Covenant Living Communities & Services?

Covenant Living is a nonprofit, faith-based senior living organization headquartered in Skokie, Illinois, and a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church, tracing its history to 1886.

Where is Covenant Living headquartered?

Covenant Living is headquartered in Skokie, Illinois.

Who owns or operates Covenant Living?

Covenant Living is a nonprofit organization operated as a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

How many communities does Covenant Living operate?

Covenant Living operates 20 senior living communities across 11 states, as of August 2026. Families should confirm the current count directly with Covenant Living.

Where are Covenant Living's communities located?

Covenant Living operates communities in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Washington.

What care options does Covenant Living offer?

Depending on the community, Covenant Living offers independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, home health care, hospice, and respite care, generally within a Life Plan Community/CCRC model.

Does Covenant Living offer memory care?

Yes, memory care is available at many, but not all, Covenant Living communities. Families should confirm availability at the specific community they are considering.

Does every Covenant Living community provide the same services?

No. Care levels, entrance fee structures, and amenities vary by community. Families should confirm current offerings directly with the community they are considering.

What is LifeConnect?

LifeConnect is Covenant Living's branded whole-person wellness model, addressing residents' physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

What is SAIDO Learning?

SAIDO Learning is a structured cognitive stimulation program offered as part of Covenant Living's memory care and wellness programming at some communities.

What do reviews say about Covenant Living communities?

Ratings vary considerably by community, from as low as 3.1 to as high as 5.0 out of 5 on Senior Care Finder. Families should review ratings and comments for the specific community they are considering.

How can someone find a Covenant Living community or schedule a tour?

Families can search Covenant Living communities on Senior Care Finder or contact a specific property directly through its Senior Care Finder listing to ask about availability and schedule a tour.

Explore Covenant Living Communities

Choosing a senior living community is a personal decision shaped by care needs, location, and budget.

View Covenant Living communities on Senior Care Finder to compare individual locations, care options, and reviews.

Because entrance fee structures, care levels, and amenities vary by community, families are encouraged to compare several communities, confirm current details directly, and visit in person before making a final decision.

Covenant Living Communities & Services is a paid Senior Care Finder partner. Partner status does not replace the need for families to independently evaluate individual communities, services, pricing, licensing information, and recent reviews.

Company information, leadership details, programs, recognition, and news were reviewed using publicly available sources. Information last reviewed August 2026.