Collins, Klobuchar Urge Administration to Provide More Housing Security to Transition Aged Foster Youth

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and a member of the Congressional Adoption Caucus, and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) urged the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide more housing security to youth who are aging out of foster care. The senators emphasized that transition-aged foster youth often face difficulties and delays in accessing Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) housing vouchers and other housing resources.  

“We write to call your attention to delays in the delivery of housing vouchers for youth aging out of foster care,” the Senators wrote to HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge. “We appreciate the work of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to address these challenges—including under the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) initiative—and ask for your help to improve the administration of these programs. We have heard from individuals who have encountered significant barriers and delays to securing FYI housing vouchers, and we urge you to ensure housing resources are delivered to transition-aged youth in an accessible and timely manner.”

“Twenty percent of foster youth become homeless the day they age out of care…Involvement in the child welfare system is a major predictor for future homelessness, with fifty percent of the nationwide homeless population having spent time in foster care,” the Senators continued. “Programs like the Foster Youth to Independence housing voucher have the potential to change the trajectory of these young adults’ lives, but only if they are accessible to them. That is why it’s so crucial to inform transition-aged youth of housing resources in advance of their transition and ensure those seeking help are able to apply and receive assistance quickly and free of unnecessary red tape.”

Full text of the letter is available HERE.

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