HUD secretary joins governor for foster youth housing discussion

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner praised strides Montana has made in reducing youth in its foster care system during a visit to the state last week.

In a roundtable discussion hosted by Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, Turner extolled Montana’s participation in First Lady Melania Trump’s Foster Youth to Independence program, which provides housing vouchers for young adults who are in or recently left the foster care system for up to three years. 

“Twenty thousand young people transition out of foster care every year … and one in four become homeless in a very short period of time — within four years — and that’s a serious challenge, and one that at HUD that we’re here to help to alleviate,” Turner said at a discussion in Bozeman. “At the same time, many are already working, continuing their education, making plans for their future. And our role at HUD is to help support that progress, to bridge the gap, and to create a pathway to greater independence for our foster youth.”

A closed-door roundtable discussion followed a few public comments, and included Montana State University President Brock Tessman, U.S. Rep. Troy Downing, former Montana foster youth, and nearly two dozen child welfare specialists and public housing authority representatives. 

Gianforte has made reducing the number of children in foster care a major priority for his administration, bolstering a refundable adoption tax credit for families who adopt from the state’s foster system and helping faith-based organizations recruit more foster families. 

In May, his office announced the number of children in the foster care system had nearly halved since he took office in 2021, and the state was joining a national collaboration to further strengthen the system. 

According to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, there are 1,749 children in foster care around the state, down from more than 3,300 in early 2021.

Turner said during his remarks that reduction can be visualized as 30 school buses full of kids. 

“That is a tremendous feat, which I’m very proud. And it’s not an accident,” Turner said. “Montana has taken the steps to support adoption, strengthen partnerships with faith-based organizations, community organizations, and help young people in foster care build a strong foundation for the future. And that’s why I’m here.”

The Melania Trump Foster Youth to Independence program is an initiative first launched in 2019 during President Donald Trump’s first term, which awards housing vouchers to public housing authorities for adults under the age of 25 for up to 36 months. 

In Montana, just three of the state’s nine public housing authorities currently participate in the federal program, according to the governor’s office, with 40 vouchers administered in Butte, Billings and Missoula to date. More than 90% of those are actively housing youth. 

“One of the challenges with our programs were that the youth would have to become technically homeless to utilize this voucher,” said Sam Oliver, executive director of the Missoula Public Housing Authority. “We’ve really innovated in that department to connect with case managers and youth who are preparing to age out of care so we can create a more seamless transition.”

The roundtable discussion included two former foster youth, who shared their personal stories of using the vouchers to achieve self-sufficiency. 

Kyla Boggess, 24, recounted being in a domestic violence situation with the father of her child. 

“Without having the voucher, I would not be able to have moved out, and me and my child would have been stuck in that relationship,” Boggess said. “Now, since I’m not in that type of environment, I’m able to go to school, I’m able to have a meaningful job, and I’m able to not have to worry about things that would hinder that process.”

The federal initiative also provides funding and support for housing, education, employment and financial management through the John H. Chaffee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood. That program is administered through the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Child and Family Services Division and helps bridge the gap for foster youth who age out of the program and are awaiting voucher approval for stable housing. 

Nationally, there are more than 8,900 Foster Youth to Independence awards currently effective through 409 public housing authorities in 49 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the governor’s office.

“In the Bible, y’all, the Book of James says that we must ‘be doers of the word and not hearers only,’” Turner said in his remarks. “Tthat’s a good standard for us in public service to not only hear but then to execute. And at HUD, we’re listening and we’re acting, and we’ll continue to do so.”