Housing Navigation Expansion: Improving Housing Voucher Programs for Former Foster Youth

This webinar discussed the 2022 policy changes and budget expansion of the Housing Navigation & Maintenance Program (HNMP), prompted by the goal of enabling counties to utilize HNMP to serve former foster youth with specialized federal Housing Choice Vouchers.

HNMP is administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to county child welfare agencies to provide housing navigators to assist youth with securing and maintaining housing.

The program previously served youth ages 18 through 21 and the priority population was current foster youth. As of July 1, 2022, the upper age limit was expanded to age 24, and the priority population was expanded to include former foster youth. The annual budget for this program was expanded in the 2022-23 state budget from $5 million to $13.7 million.

JBAY was joined on the webinar by a representative from HCD to discuss these changes and provide a refresher on the steps counties must take to accept the funding. Attendees also learned how counties can utilize HNMP to improve the provision of Family Unification Program (FUP) and Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Vouchers, and about a related new Community of Practice launching in 2023.