The Effects of Youth Housing Scarcities in Los Angeles
Diane Guzman first experienced foster care when she was removed from her home at the age of seven. She remained in extended foster care, an option for youth to continue their time until they turn 21, until 22 after the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) delayed many youth’s exit dates during COVID-19. A couple years ago, Guzman was selected and approved for a time limited housing choice voucher designed specifically for youth and families impacted by the foster care system
“It was through DCFS and maybe another organization like Wellnest. By that time my whole transition was pretty bad. I remember someone reached out to me and said “I’m your new case manager.” and then there was nothing else.”
When her voucher expired, Guzman self advocated for a reinstatement of the voucher.
“I didn’t even know it was extended until I got another email saying it expired again.”
Family Reunification Program
Guzman referenced a program passed in 1990 when Congress acknowledged the lack of adequate housing for families and youth alike affected by out-of-home care and authorized the Family Unification Program (FUP). The program comprised a thirty-six-month subsidy voucher from a housing authority and ongoing case management services to support housing stability for eligible families and youth. Although the program is meant to support families and youth through stabilization, accessing services has been challenging. Many youth require supportive services to prepare to live on their own for the first time, like connecting to school, gaining employment, financial literacy, seeking available housing, etc.
Foster care and pipeline
The transition period between exiting foster care and entering adulthood has a small window before a youth is propelled into an unfamiliar world of independence and unknown responsibilities. A strong support network is more often replaced by a revolving door of social workers and case managers, more often than not overburdened by high caseloads and burnout.
In Los Angeles, a report titled Scaling Housing to End the Foster Care to Homelessness Pipeline indicated about 20% and 40% of the approximately 1,140 youth that exit foster care experience housing insecurity.
Despite stark numbers and evidence, the fight for resources remains an uphill battle. On February 14, 2023, Assemblywoman Pilar Shiaver introduced AB 963 - The End the Foster Care to Homelessness Pipeline Act, and although the votes were all in favor of the bill to pass, it was suspended in May of the same year and officially failed in January 2024.
Los Angeles youth resources
In an interview with Ely Sepulveda Garcia, an eight-year expert with experience in youth system coordination and development, he details one of the important approaches to delivering youth resources,
“It’s recognizing that folks are different and not everyone fits in the same kind of box. There really needs to be a tailored conversation and way to approach things. Folks are different and have different needs.”
Sepulveda Garcia worked on the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project for Los Angeles, a relatively new grant from HUD meant to support and build an effective youth system, specifically inviting the community and youth with lived experience to create a system that works for them.
“Demonstration is an important part of that...Once LA received the award, the next major step was for LA, as a community, to decide how they wanted to use it. What project types they wanted to utilize. Another big component of it was what special activities we want to go after.” Sepulveda Garcia explains that with government funding like HUD, there are specifications and limitations to the funding.
As for Guzman, she is well on her way to fulfilling her goal of becoming a lawyer and advocating for the rights of children and youth in foster care. She is scheduled to take the LSAT in September.
Photo provided by Diane Guzman
