In an effort to combat youth homelessness, California has funneled an additional $56 million into grants aimed at providing housing and services to young adults at risk. Governor Gavin Newsom, along with the state's Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), made the announcement, specifying funds would assist 52 counties in supporting those transitioning out of foster care or probationary systems. According to a release from the governor's office, these counties have seen successes with past initiatives, helping over 14,000 young adults since 2020.
“California will continue to support our local governments in their efforts to address homelessness," Newsom said. The state's current initiative builds on previous years' work, which saw a reduction in the number of youth experiencing homelessness, and a lesser increase in unsheltered homelessness compared to 44 other states. These efforts spotlight a group particularly vulnerable to homelessness—those exiting foster care and probation systems, with approximately 9,871 young adults identified between the ages of 21 and 24 as potentially at-risk due to transition out of foster care at age 18 or older.
In detailing the allocations, HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez told the governor's office, “Many young adults exiting the foster care or probation systems face homelessness and need resources and guidance to thrive.” Velasquez outlined the programs benefitting from the funds, including the Transitional Housing Program, Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program, and the Transitional Housing Plus Housing Supplement Program. The grants are designed to help counties provide housing and wrap-around services to this demographic as they navigate the choppy waters of independence.
Funding distribution is based on each county's proportion of the statewide total of young adults who are currently or formerly in foster care or probation systems. Among the counties receiving awards in this latest round are populous areas like Los Angeles and San Francisco, to smaller regions like Mariposa and Siskiyou. While distribution was broad, there were a few counties that declined the additional resources, citing reasons such lack of staffing and low Transitional Age Youth caseloads. The Point in Time Count, which gauges homelessness numbers, has shown a steady decline in the past few years, dropping from 11,403 in 2020 to 8,569 by 2024 in the age group served by these programs.
Communities and agencies looking for more information about the state's efforts and the specifics of the grant awards can refer to the TAY Program webpage hosted on the HCD website. This resource offers insights into how the state is tackling the issue of youth homelessness through these targeted programs.
