FULL REPORT COMING SOON...

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About

The Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Program is a specialized initiative by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that provides dedicated rental assistance and supportive services to young adults transitioning out of the foster care system who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless. The program provides 36-month Housing Choice Vouchers to prevent or end homelessness for young adults ages 18 to 24 who are aging out of or have recently exited the foster care system.

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The Population

• Youth with experience navigating the FYI voucher process. The opportunity was open to young people who were actively utilizing a FYI/FUP (Family Unification Program) voucher, had received a voucher but were not currently using it, or had applied but did not receive the voucher.  
  
  • Surveys: 104 youth across 17 states and D.C.
  • Interviews: 15 in-depth interviews across 6 states and D.C.

The Why

To reduce the number of foster youth experiencing homelessness.

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The Challenge

Youth aging out of foster care remain at high risk of experiencing homelessness during the transition to adulthood. Recent national research shows that between 25% and 31% of young people exiting foster care experience homelessness or housing instability within a few years of aging out. Young people with a history of foster care are also more likely to experience homelessness at earlier ages and for longer periods of time compared to their peers, with 27.5 months being the average compared to peers without foster care experience.

The Foster Youth to Independence Initiative was created to support youth transitioning by providing a mechanism for stable housing. As of November 2025, PHAs had awarded 7,575 FYI vouchers across 364 jurisdictions. But with approximately 2,000 PHAs nationwide, the majority of eligible youth still don't have access to a voucher because their local housing authority has not opted in to the program and getting a voucher does not mean being able to use one: as of 2022, the FYI utilization rate was only 33%, meaning just 1 in 3 youth who navigate the system to receive a voucher are actually using it for housing.

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The Action

From February 19 - April 26, 2026, TOU conducted surveys and interviews to better understand the journey young people experience when navigating the program.

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What We Heard

• 72% of youth we heard from first learned about the FYI housing voucher after they had already left foster care, or just before aging out of extended care.
• Only 53% heard about it from a caseworker at all. The rest found out from friends, nonprofits, mentors, or family.
• 31% of youth we surveyed said move-in costs delayed their ability to use their FYI voucher, costs that often fell entirely on them to cover.

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Testimonials from Young People Navigating the Program

"I was passed from person to person, given conflicting information, and left waiting while my housing situation felt urgent to me but not to the people meant to help."

"It is a tedious process, which depends heavily on the will of your caseworkers. I was not informed of the FYI voucher until it was almost too late, just months before I aged out of extended foster care."

"This program gave me stability at an important time in my life and allowed me to focus on career growth and financial independence."

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The Presentation

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TOU's Work on the FYI Initiative