Funding Deployed During National Foster Care Month 2023
Today, as the country marks National Foster Care Month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it will make available $688 thousand to 12 public housing authorities (PHAs) in 9 states, including California, Oregon, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. These PHAs will receive a total of 80 Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) initiative vouchers to address foster youth homelessness. This new allocation of funding was made on a non-competitive basis, and the funding remains available to PHAs to access, as they receive referrals from a partnering Public Child Welfare Agency (PCWA). View all PHA awardees announced today here.
“We must make sure our nation’s foster youth have the same opportunity to succeed as their peers,” said Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia L. Fudge. “This funding will help public housing agencies meet the needs of youth who have aged out of the foster care program so they can have access to safe, stable, and affordable homes.
Through the Foster Youth to Independence initiative, HUD is investing in a community response to homelessness and housing instability faced by youth involved in the child welfare system. FYI makes Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) assistance available to public housing agencies (PHAs) in partnership with public child welfare agencies (PCWAs). Under FYI, PHAs provide housing assistance on behalf of youth at least 18 years and not more than 24 years of age who left foster care, or will leave foster care within 90 days, and are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Funding for FYI remains available on a non-competitive basis for PHAs that have received referrals from their partnering PCWA for eligible youth. The process and eligibility requirements to apply for the Foster to Youth to Independence (FYI) non-competitive vouchers can be found in PIH Notice 2023-04: online.
On April 28, 2023, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation for National Foster Care Month. National Foster Care Month is an initiative of the Children’s Bureau. Each May, the Children’s Bureau takes time to acknowledge foster parents, family members, volunteers, mentors, policymakers, child welfare professionals, and other members of the community who help children and youth in foster care find permanent homes and connections. The Children’s Bureau uses this time to renew its commitment to ensuring a bright future for the more than 391,000 children and youth in foster care and recognize those who make a meaningful difference in their lives.