What you need to know: California is providing funding to 52 counties to prevent homelessness by supporting former and current foster youth with housing assistance. Since 2020, the state has provided funds to help serve over 8,000 young people with housing support services through the Transitional Age Youth programs.

SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced awards to 52 California counties to provide housing and supportive services to vulnerable young Californians transitioning into adulthood.

“These grants are critical for helping to connect some of the most vulnerable Californians with access to housing. Many of these young adults don’t have the support of friends or family that most of us take for granted.” - Governor Gavin Newsom

The three Transitional Age Youth (TAY) programs administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) allocate funding to eligible county child welfare agencies to provide housing and services for young adults under 25, with priority given to those currently or formerly in the foster care or probation systems. Since its inception in 2020, TAY has provided stable housing and critical services to more than 5,700 young adults. The $56 million announced today is expected to bring the total of Californians served by TAY to 8,075.

“We know childhood experiences of homelessness can have a devastating impact on educational attainment, economic opportunity, and health throughout adulthood,” said Business Consumer Services and Housing Secretary Tomiquia Moss. “California’s youth deserve every opportunity to succeed. The Transitional Age Youth programs help make that possible by providing our most vulnerable young adults with the safe, stable spaces and tools to build a strong foundation for their futures. The TAY programs also show how when state and local government come together, we can make a brighter future possible for all our communities.”

“Housing stability is the most basic foundation every young person needs to be able to build a better future,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “The young adults assisted by HCD’s TAY programs-especially those aging out of the foster care system-too often have nowhere else to turn and face the very real risk of becoming homeless. This tremendous partnership with our counties helps ensure these young people have the tools and support to allow them not just to survive, but to thrive.”

Based on county reporting data submitted to HCD, the youth served through TAY program funding have identified themselves as experiencing homelessness at program entry, currently in the state’s foster care or probation system, or identifying as LGBTQIA+. Services offered include housing support, wrap-around case management, financial literacy, education and employment assistance, and financial assistance. 

Additionally, in an ongoing effort to address homelessness experienced by families with young children, HCD announced the recipients of the second tranche of the Family Homelessness Challenge (FHC) Grant program. The program provides competitive grants and technical assistance to local jurisdictions with the goal of promoting rapid innovation, accelerating nascent programs, and expanding promising practices to create scalable solutions that can be shared across the state to address and ultimately end family homelessness.

More than $15 million has been awarded to the following eight communities:

- City of Livermore: $280,768

-  City of Los Angeles: $3,850,000

-  City of Oakland: $1,844,860

-  City of Salinas: $2,838,211

-  County of Mendocino: $1,196,558

-  County of Santa Clara: $3,330,724

-  Pasadena CoC: $789,473

-  Sacramento City & County CoC: $869,403

For more information on today’s award, please visit hcd.ca.gov.

-  TAY programs

-  FHC program