Author(s): Urban Institute
Published: Oct. 26, 2021
Report Intro/Brief:
“In the United States, most young people experience a gradual transition to adulthood accompanied by frequent changes in housing. Young people typically make this transition with the emotional support, financial assistance, and safety net of family members or other adults. Young adults transitioning out of foster care, however, often experience transiency and frequent changes in housing with little support from family. The transition from foster care can be abrupt for some young adults, as they are expected to shift from being dependents of the state to being independent young adults overnight. Young people aging out of foster care must secure suitable housing with little or no support from their family or the state. Accordingly, many young people aging out of foster care experience homelessness.
A central challenge acknowledged by policymakers is securing viable housing options for young adults that are both developmentally appropriate and responsive to their diverse needs. In recent years, supportive housing programs have become a popular means to support young people formerly in foster care. Although research indicates a universal approach will not be adequate, it remains unclear what specific set of housing options should be made available and whether distinct housing options are better suited for young adults who have been in foster care. This report describes results from a nationwide scan of housing programs for young people formerly in foster care that follow the Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) model.”
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