By Samuel J. Heyman, Service to America Medals, May 2021
Each year, more than 20,000 foster children in the U.S. are sent into the world on their own when they turn 18. Within four years, nearly a quarter of them experience homelessness, often setting the stage for a lifetime of personal and financial struggle.
Ryan Jones of the Department of Housing and Urban Development was struck by the urgency and depth of the problem in 2019 as he listened to former foster care youth from Ohio describe the impact housing insecurity had on their ability to finish school and hold a first job. Then he heard a galvanizing proposal from these young people: Close the persistent housing and social service gaps facing those leaving foster care.
Jones sprang into action and, with his team at HUD, advocated for, developed, implemented and now runs an innovative new housing voucher program that started as a pilot project and has won bipartisan congressional backing. The program, known as the Foster Youth to Independence Initiative, provides 18- to 24-year-olds aging out of foster care with rental assistance and other support services, so they can work toward their educational and employment goals and reach economic self-sufficiency.
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