NAHMA HUD Update: RAD Video for Residents; Expedited Waiver for Public Housing and Voucher Programs; Foster Youth to Independence

December 17, 2021

Dear NAHMA Members,

Please find below several updates from HUD, including:

• New Video for Public Housing Residents on the RAD Process
• Expedited Waiver Notice for Public Housing and Voucher Programs
• Foster Youth to Independence

Please see the announcements below for more information.

On December 9, HUD published a notice titled “Expedited Regulatory Waivers for the Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher (including Mainstream and Mod Rehab) Programs” (Notice PIH 2021-34). This notice (also attached) provides information on flexibilities that HUD will continue to provide for the public housing and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs, even though most regulatory and statutory waivers related to the COVID-19 pandemic will expire at the end of the year. Click here to view the notice.

HUD Announces Additional Assistance to Keep Foster Youth Housed

26 Public Housing Agencies are receiving over $1 million total to prevent homelessness faced by youth involved in the child welfare system

WASHINGTON, DC—The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Thursday announced that over $1 million has been awarded to public housing agencies (PHAs) across the country to provide housing assistance to youth who are aging out of foster care and are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Twenty-six PHAs in 20 states will receive this funding to continue HUD’s efforts to assist young people transitioning out of foster care. In September, through the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Competitive Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), HUD awarded over $14 million to 18 PHAs to prevent homelessness among young adults who have aged out, or are close to aging out, of the foster care system.

“Every young person deserves the opportunity to live with housing stability,” said Danielle Bastarache, HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Housing and Voucher Programs. “HUD’s Foster Youth to Independence Initiative has made that a reality for hundreds of youth by helping to provide access to housing for those who are aging out of foster care. Our Department is pleased to provide additional funding to public housing agencies across the country so they can support more individuals as they lay the foundation for their future success.”

HUD's Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Initiative provides housing assistance and supportive services to young people with a child welfare history who are at-risk-of or experiencing homelessness.

To be eligible for FYI funding, public housing authorities must:

• Administer a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program;
• Enter into a partnership agreement with a Public Child Welfare Agency (PCWA);
• Accept young people referred by their partnering PCWA; and
• Determine that the referred youth are eligible for HCV assistance.

The following states were awarded funding: