Every young person deserves the dignity and security of stable housing, and this is especially true for youth and young adults formerly in foster care. No young person should transition out of foster care without a plan for housing and the support and services to maintain housing. As the Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, which houses the Children’s Bureau and the Family Youth Services Bureau, I know the importance of partnering with communities to address the barriers, challenges, and systemic issues leading to such high rates of homelessness among youth exiting foster care. I have a long history of working to improve youth and family-serving systems, particularly in child welfare, so I understand that to be successful in this work we must develop and support intentional cross-system collaborations at every level of government and in communities, centering young people as the experts, and providing connections to resources they need to succeed and thrive.

Foster Care Exits and Housing Instability
Approximately 20,000 youth exit foster care annually, typically between the ages of 18 and 21. Many more experience the foster care system before the age of 18 and will need services and support to help in their transition. These young people face greater obstacles to accessing and maintaining housing, and as a result, experience higher rates of homelessness and housing instability compared to the general population. Additionally, young people may exit foster care into a stable setting, but then later experience homelessness or housing instability with few supports and resources to resolve on their own.

In response to the disproportionate numbers of young adults formerly in foster care who later experienced homelessness, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) took the recommendations of young people with lived experience and formally established the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Program in 2019. The FYI Program is a dedicated resource that provides rental assistance and supportive services to young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 who have left foster care or are transitioning out of foster care and who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. This program provides an important opportunity for communities across the country to build upon efforts to prevent and end homelessness among youth and young adults with a current or prior history of child welfare involvement and reduce the disparate outcomes for young adults of color and LGBTQIA2S+ young adults.

Read the full article about partnerships in youth homelessness at National Alliance to End Homelessness.