The results are in and the news is good: on July 16th, Governor Newsom signed the California State budget. It includes record-level investments in youth who have been in foster care or homeless, including 12 proposals championed by John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY).
Together, these 12 budget items total $512 million in new investment for youth who have been in foster care or homeless. Addressing homelessness among former foster was a top priority this year and the focus of four successful proposals. This includes $8 million to expand transitional housing, $5 million to help youth locate and secure housing, $9 million to increase rates paid for housing in high-cost parts of the state and $200,000 to train social worker and probation officers on housing.
According to former foster youth and JBAY Youth Advocate Patrick Gabbett, access to housing is lifesaving. “As a foster youth who is currently living in transitional housing, I need to stress just how important this funding and these programs are. I would be homeless without them, and given my disabilities and severe trauma, I don’t know if I would even be alive.”
JBAY also successfully advocated for $30 million annually to help college students facing hunger and homelessness. This new funding will establish “basic needs centers” and dedicated staffing at each of the 115 community colleges, assisting an estimated 86,250 students annually.
Young parents in foster care were also a priority for JBAY; $1.8 million was included in the state budget to provide financial support for pregnant youth in foster care three months prior to the birth of their child. According to former foster youth, young parent and JBAY Youth Advocate Christina Torrez, this policy will help young people to put their attention where it matters most. “The financial support with allow the youth to focus on school and their baby.”
Some of the largest new investments were to address the larger issue of youth homelessness. The budget included a two-year, $2 billion investment in the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program (HHAP) and $2.75 billion in Homekey, which funds the construction of permanent, affordable housing. JBAY successfully advocated for a youth set-aside in both of these critical programs. HHAP will require 10% of funds to be spent on homeless youth and Homekey will require 8%.
Finally, the budget included critical accountability provisions proposed by JBAY, to ensure foster youth have access to comprehensive sexual health and also receive the help applying to college required by state law.
“Thank you, Governor Newsom and members of the California State Senate and Assembly, for your commitment to youth who have been in foster care or homeless,” said JBAY Executive Director Amy Lemley. “Young people needed you and California answered the call.” For a full list of JBAY budget victories, follow this link.