HUD Provides $1.8 million to Support Youth Aging Out of Foster Care on Anniversary of First Lady Melania Trump’s BE BEST Initiative
Announcement is part of National Foster Care Month and a continuation of HUD’s successful Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) program
WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner, in collaboration with First Lady of the United States Melania Trump, today announced a $1.8 million dollar investment in HUD’s Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) program to assist more than 100 young Americans aging out of the foster care system with temporary, supportive funding to prevent homelessness for a duration of 36 months. In alignment with President Trump’s proclamation of May as National Foster Care Month, the FYI program offers housing vouchers to local public housing authorities (PHAs) for young adults under the age of 25 who are in, or have recently left, the foster care system.
“I am proud to partner with Secretary Turner and the HUD team to provide individuals from within the foster care community with the security of having a home as they age out of the foster care system. Today’s investment will prove to play a critical role in keeping these individuals on track to achieve autonomy in a dignified and safe way,” said First Lady Melania Trump.
“The FYI program is game changing to provide young adults with access to short-term housing assistance and supportive services to prevent homelessness. We’ve seen example after example where this short-term housing and support is all many recipients need before launching into educational success, building a family of their own, and achieving self-sufficiency,” said Secretary Turner. “The FYI program embodies the principle that one’s circumstances should not dictate their success in life. I am so appreciative of the First Lady for her commitment to helping our nation’s foster youth through her BE BEST initiative and championing public-private partnerships that are changing lives every day.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) estimates that more than 20,000 young people age out of foster care each year. The National Center for Housing and Child Welfare (NCHCW) estimates that approximately 25 percent of these young people experience homelessness within four years of leaving foster care and an even higher share are precariously housed.
Recipients of the awards announced today can be found on the table below:
| State | Public Housing Authority | City | Amount | Vouchers |
| California | Housing Authority of the County of Marin | Marin, CA | $55,800 | 2 |
| California | County of Sonoma | Santa Rosa, CA | $291,594 | 18 |
| California | Orange County Housing Authority | Santa Ana, CA | $495,228 | 25 |
| Montana | Butte Housing Authority | Butte, MT | $28,815 | 4 |
| New Hampshire | Nashua Housing Authority | Nashua, NH | $31,141 | 2 |
| North Carolina | Wilson Housing Authority | Wilson, NC | $6,796 | 1 |
| Ohio | Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority | Cincinnati, OH | $220,868 | 22 |
| Ohio | Portage Metropolitan Housing Authority | Ravenna, OH | $7,475 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | Montgomery County Housing Authority | Norristown, PA | $245,606 | 15 |
| Tennessee | Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency | Nashville, TN | $298,620 | 25 |
| Texas | Housing Authority of Port Arthur | Port Arthur, TX | $38,169 | 4 |
| Texas | Denton Housing Authority | Denton, TX | $29,987 | 2 |
| Virginia | Lynchburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority | Lynchburg, VA | $43,640 | 5 |
| Washington | Housing Authority of Chelan County and the City of Wenatchee | Wenatchee, WA | $20,246 | 2 |
| West Virginia | The City of Fairmont Housing Authority | Fairmont, WV | $37,605 | 5 |
| TOTAL | $1,851,590 | 133 |
About First Lady Melania Trump’s BE BEST
Launched by Mrs. Trump in 2018, BE BEST is dedicated to promoting the well-being of children with a renewed emphasis on supporting foster youth through initiatives like Fostering the Future. Continuing into the Trump Administration’s second term, Mrs. Trump’s focus remains on achieving substantive and lasting outcomes that directly improve the lives of current and future generations of children and youth.