CH+R receives funding for Foster Youth to Independence program
Concord Housing + Redevelopment (CH+R) has secured federal funds for the new Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) initiative. CH+R received $7,080 for the program that will assist young adults who are transitioning out of foster care.The funds were released by the United States Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regional administrator so that CH+R can get working on the new program. New Hampshire is the first state in New England to have the money to put the program into action.
The FYI initiative provides housing assistance and support services to young people who have a history in child welfare programs. Youth aged 18-24 who have left or will be leaving foster care within 90 days can apply. Along with housing assistance, the participants will also receive life skills coaching, job training, and education and career counseling.
“This money will go a long way to help us take care of a vulnerable segment of our community,” said John Hoyt, Executive Director of CH+R. “No young person leaving foster care should have to face the adversity of homelessness. The Foster Youth to Independence program is the perfect stepping stone to help these young adults enter the world with confidence and security.”
The United States Department of Health and Human Services estimates that more than 20,000 young people age out of the foster care system annually. Approximately 25% of these young people experience homelessness within four years of leaving the foster care system.
CH+R will work with community partners to identify at-risk youth and connect them with the program. CH+R will help with access to physical space for the youth to call home. Public child welfare agencies and continuums of care will work together to determine the appropriate level of intervention for each young person. Services might include: counseling on money management and use of credit cards; proper nutrition and meal preparation; attainment of a GED; and financing of education at a trade school.