The connection between foster care and homelessness is well known among those working in the field. For youth transitioning from care who had a prior episode of homelessness, a future episode of homelessness is just as likely as avoiding it. What seems less known is the ready availability of dedicated housing assistance to help these young adults avoid or escape homelessness.

A 2019 report issued by Chapin Hall found that a history of foster care is common among young adults experiencing homelessness. Unfortunately, homelessness is also common among youth transitioning from care: more than one in four youth who turn 17 in foster care report experiencing a homeless episode by age 21. Analysis of National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) cohorts consistently find that 1 in 2 transition-age youth who reported experiencing homelessness as a child will have at least one additional homeless episode by age 21.

But there’s a critical resource that states can tap into to keep these youth housed.

Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) vouchers provide dedicated rental assistance to support youth in two situations: youth exiting foster care who are at risk of homelessness, and youth who have become homeless (or at risk of homelessness) after having been in foster care. FYI vouchers can be accessed through a noncompetitive process by public housing agencies (PHAs) that partner with child welfare agencies that agree to identify, refer, and secure services to support eligible youth. The noncompetitive process allow eligible PHAs to access FYI vouchers on an-as needed basis, as eligible youth are identified and referred by child welfare agency partners.

Read the full article about Foster Youth to Independence vouchers by Sharon McDonald at National Alliance to End Homelessness.