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. The resources on this page are designed to provide insight for three main areas.
- Illustrate the scope of need: Many youth are at high risk of experiencing homelessness upon exiting foster care. (Map 1)
- Demonstrate voucher uptake for Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) on a state-level basis: Only a small share of PHAs across all states are accessing FYI vouchers that can serve these youth. (Map 2)
- Provide clarity on distinct agency roles: Public Housing Authorities, child welfare agencies, and homeless service providers all have a role to playin putting these vouchers to use. A large number of youth will be exiting care soon; PHAs have the opportunity to use FYI vouchers support them in their transition. (Map 3)
Demonstrating the Scope of Need
The three following interactive maps, produced in partnership with the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare, allow readers to identify the risk of homelessness for youth transitioning from foster care, the share of PHAs accessing available FYI vouchers, and the number of youth who may soon require housing support to avoid homelessness and achieve safe and stable transitions from care.
Alliance Resources
The Alliance welcomes input from local partners now accessing utilizing FYI vouchers to prevent and end youth homelessness so those lessons can be translated to the larger field. Please feel free to reach out to Sharon McDonald and Malik Rivers with local insights and experiences.