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Presentation, discussion, and possible action authorizing the Department to amend the service area for the Foster Youth to Independence Initiative
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
recommendation
WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Initiative is designed to provide rental assistance vouchers to youth aged 18 to 24 who have left foster care or will leave foster care within 180 days in accordance with a transition plan described in Section 475(5)(H) of the Social Security Act and who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless;
WHEREAS, on March 15, 2023, HUD published PIH Notice 2023-04 related to its FYI Initiative;
WHEREAS, on April 9, 2025, HUD published PIH Notice 2025-08 modifying certain provisions in the FYI Initiative;
WHEREAS, the Department is an eligible entity to participate in the FYI Initiative as a Public Housing Authority (PHA) currently administering the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program;
WHEREAS, on September 5, 2024, the Board authorized staff to request vouchers under the FYI Initiative but while that action allowed the Department's issuance authority statewide, it contained a caveat that to the extent that other PHAs are offering FYI vouchers, the Department would only issue in areas of the state that already have an administering PHA if that PHA has maximized their voucher allocation or has otherwise declined to issue a voucher to an eligible participant;
WHEREAS, the Department has now been issuing FYI vouchers to youth referred from the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS);
WHEREAS, staff recommends that TDHCA's service area for the FYI Initiative be expanded statewide irrespective of other FYI voucher availability from another PHA to better allow full statewide access to the program for youth; and
WHEREAS, the recommendation to remove the prior restriction is supported by the Department's referral partner, DFPS;
NOW, therefore, it is hereby
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