The ongoing pandemic has “underscored” the need for HUD’s Foster Youth Housing Program.

HUD Secretary Ben Carson announced on May 4th that HUD is granting $100,000 for HUD’s new Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Initiative. The funding will be going to six different states and continuing HUD’s efforts to assist young adults transitioning out of foster care and who are at risk of homelessness. Foster Youth Initiative announcements have now totaled over $1.1 million this year.

The Foster Youth Independence Initiative works to provide affordable housing for young people who have had a child-welfare history or are at-risk of experiencing homelessness.

“The unprecedented pandemic we now face has shined a light on the importance of having a place to call home… The FYI program affords young people who are aging out of foster care with a place of their own, helping to ensure their health and safety while providing them with stability as they transition into the next chapter of their lives.”

HUD Secretary Ben Carson

It is estimated that more than 20,000 young people age out of foster care each year. And approximately 25 percent of those young people experience homelessness within four years of leaving foster care, and an even higher percentage have instability in the housing they have. These estimates are based on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare (NCHCW).

The following states are receiving funding for the Foster Youth Independence Initiative:

To be eligible for FYI funding, public housing authorities must:

• Administer a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program;
• Enter into a partnership agreement with a Public Child Welfare Agency (PCWA);
• Accept young people referred by their partnering PCWA; and
• Determine that the referred youth are eligible for HCV assistance.