From the Chicago Housing Authority's press release:
The Chicago Housing Authority this week received $1.1 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for 75 new vouchers that will provide housing assistance to young adults who are transitioning out of foster care and are experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
HUD made the award as part of $12.9 million being distributed to 16 public housing authorities in nine states across the country. The new allotment will increase the number of vouchers that are available through CHA’s Foster Youth to Independence program (FYI) from 100 to 175. The new vouchers will be effective as of June 2023.
The FYI program aims to create a community response to youth experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness who have been involved with the child welfare system. FYI makes Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) assistance available to public housing authorities who have a partnership with public child welfare agencies, in CHA’s case, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Under the program, public housing authorities can provide housing assistance to young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 years old who left foster care or will leave foster care in the next 90 days and are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
“Youth who are transitioning out of the foster care system are a particularly vulnerable population, and it is vitally important that public agencies are intentional about supporting them so that their transitions are successful. We are grateful to HUD for making these new vouchers available,” said CHA CEO Tracey Scott.