Foster Youth Housing Opportunity Act
Description
Proposes to expand federal foster care funding to provide supportive housing services for young adults transitioning out of the system.
Summary
What it does
This bill would expand the permissible uses of federal funds under the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program to include supportive housing services, such as financial counseling, for young adults up to age 26 who have experienced foster care. It proposes that the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly issue guidance to improve coordination between child welfare agencies and housing authorities. Additionally, the bill would require a report on the housing outcomes and homelessness rates of foster youth receiving federal assistance, including recommendations for better program alignment.
Who is affected
This bill affects youth and young adults up to age 26 who have experienced foster care and are receiving assistance through the HUD Section 8 Family Unification Program. It also impacts state child welfare agencies, participating tribes, and public housing authorities responsible for administering Chafee program funds and housing services. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Housing and Urban Development are affected by new requirements for joint guidance and reporting.
Key provisions
- Expansion of Chafee Program funding for housing services. The bill allows states to use federal funds from the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood to provide supportive housing services. These services, such as financial counseling, are available to individuals up to age 26 who have experienced foster care and receive assistance through the HUD Family Unification Program.
- Interagency guidance on housing service coordination. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are required to jointly issue guidance to state child welfare agencies and public housing authorities. This guidance aims to improve the alignment and coordination of housing-related supportive services for eligible youth.
- Federal reporting on foster youth housing outcomes. HHS, in consultation with HUD, must report on the outcomes of foster youth receiving federal housing assistance, including homelessness rates and access to stable housing. The report will include evaluations of state programs and recommendations for improving coordination between child welfare agencies and federal housing programs.
Fiscal impact
- H.R. 7432, Foster Youth Housing Opportunity Act· As ordered reported by the House Committee on Ways and Means on April 29, 2026
Effective dates
Not applicable: Official Summary does not address effective dates
Relationship to existing law
This bill expands the permissible uses of federal funds under the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood, an existing program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. It also modifies the coordination between state child welfare agencies and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 8 Family Unification Program.
Stated purpose
The bill aims to improve housing stability for young adults who have experienced foster care by expanding the use of federal Chafee program funds to include supportive housing services. It also seeks to enhance coordination between child welfare agencies and housing authorities while requiring federal reporting on housing outcomes and homelessness rates for this population.