Read about a new housing initiative to help young people aging out of foster care and who are at risk of homelessness.
TENANT PROTECTION VOUCHERS FOR FOSTER YOUTH TO INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE
HUD announced the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) initiative, through the issuance of Notice PIH 2019-20. Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) partnering with Public Child Welfare Agencies (PCWAs) may request Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) in the form of Tenant Protection Vouchers (TPVs) to assist eligible youth for a period of 36 months, subject to availability.
Eligible youth must meet the following conditions:
- Has attained at least 18 years and not more than 24 years of age;
- Left foster care, or will leave foster care within 90 days, in accordance with a transition plan described in section 475(5)(H) of the Social Security Act at age 16 or older; and
- Is homeless or is at risk of becoming homeless.
Eligibility is not limited to single persons. For example, pregnant and/or parenting youth are eligible to receive assistance under this notice assuming they otherwise meet eligibility requirements.
PHAs are eligible if they currently administer the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program and do not administer the Family Unification Program (FUP). PHAs that administer the FUP, awarded any year, are not eligible to administer assistance under FYI TPV. A list of PHAs that administer the HCV program and do not administer FUP is available here. For additional information on PHA eligibility requirements, please review the Notice.
The notice explains the eligibility and application requirement for funding, in addition to describing how applications will be processed.
Questions Regarding FYI TPVs
If you have questions regarding Notice PIH 2019-20 first check HUD’s responses to frequently asked questions here: FYI TPV FAQs. If your question has not been answered in the FAQ, you may email your question to FYITPV@hud.gov.
Individual requests for housing assistance should NOT be sent to FYITPV@hud.gov. If you are an individual seeking housing assistance, please reach out to your local HUD office and public housing agency (PHA) to learn more about the housing resources and opportunities within your community. For further information on how to locate the nearest HUD office and PHA, please click on the following link: https://resources.hud.gov/.
Webinar
On August 6, 2019, HUD and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) hosted a webinar on FYI.
The first section of the webinar provides an overview of Notice PIH 2019-20 (the Notice). Please reference the Notice to learn more about what is required for this initiative. The second and third sections of the webinar provide ideas and examples on building partnerships and approaching prioritization in your community if the need for this resource exceeds the maximum number of vouchers per fiscal year. To learn more about what is required related to partnerships, see Section 8 of the Notice. To learn more about prioritization (encouraged but not required), see Section 13 of the Notice.
The webinar recording, script and slides are available below. If you experience issues with the webinar resources, please contact FYITPV@hud.gov.
Resource links:
(NEW) FYI TPV Sample Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
(NEW) FYI TPV Sample Email Request for Assistance
Family Unification Program: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/programs/hcv/family.
Housing & Child Welfare: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/service-array/housing/childwelfare/.
Services for Homeless and Runaway Youth: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/youth/interventions/homeless-runaway/.
ACF two-part podcast on housing and child welfare:
Part 1: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/child-welfare-podcast-housings-part1 Part 2: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/child-welfare-podcast-housings-part2
(NEW) Youth.gov is the the U.S. government website that helps you create, maintain, and strengthen effective youth programs. Transition & Aging Out is one of the many youth topics on Youth.gov.
