State grants aim to strengthen California housing navigation case management and financial guidance for at-risk youth
California – California made a big promise to help foster youngsters who are having trouble finding a place to live during National Youth Homelessness Awareness Month. Governor Gavin Newsom said that 54 counties will receive $56 million in state funds. The goal is to make sure that young adults who are leaving foster care or probation can find secure housing and avoid becoming homeless. The announcement brings attention to ongoing efforts to keep young people safe at a time when many people still have trouble finding affordable accommodation and getting help.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development is in charge of the grants. They are meant to help counties make their programs and support systems for young people who are becoming adults without family safety nets stronger. The money will help with finding homes, managing cases, giving financial advice, and giving them access to job and education resources. Newsom said that no young adult should have to choose between paying rent, going to school, or buying basic necessities.
“Young adults deserve to feel supported and guided, especially during their transition into adulthood. This funding will continue to bridge accessible housing resources in our communities and will ensure that our youth don’t have to decide between their education, paying rent, or putting food on the table – we will not leave our youth behind,” Newsom said.
California has added more services to help young people become stable since 2020, and officials say that early results show that the work is making a genuine difference. The state says that in the last four years, the number of homeless people in California between the ages of 18 and 24 has declined by about 25%, from more than 11,000 to just over 8,500. The drop comes after a number of housing programs and grants for young people were started to help them stay linked to shelter, services, and long-term opportunities.
Three Transitional Age Youth programs will get the money. The Transitional Housing Program will help counties find housing and set up help. The Housing Navigation and Maintenance Program will teach child welfare and probation personnel how to better help young people find housing resources that are available. After they turn 18, foster adolescents in counties with high rents will be able to get help from a third program called Transitional Housing Plus Housing Supplement.
Officials argue that these programs have already helped thousands of young individuals find housing and get the help they need. Many of them came to the programs homeless or unstable. Young people who get help include those in foster care, young adults on probation, and LGBTQIA+ individuals who are more likely to lose their homes. With the most recent round of funding, the state continues to be trying to make it easier for young people in California to get out of homelessness and build a more stable future for themselves.
