Testimony of Rachel White: Youth exiting child welfare system face major housing challenges

Good morning, Chair Parker and members of the Committee on Youth Affairs. My name is Rachel White, and I serve as the Deputy Director of Youth Advocacy at DC Action. I appreciate the opportunity to testify today on behalf of the many young people who transition out of the foster care system and face housing insecurity in the District.

Youth exiting the child welfare system face significant challenges in securing stable housing and remaining housed. A 2019 survey found that nearly 9 out of 10 youth who exited foster care at age 21 reported housing insecurity immediately after exit. Despite legislative efforts like the Preserving Our Kids’ Equity Through Trusts (POKETT) Amendment Act of 2022, too many young people are still falling through the cracks. In 2023, over half of the 29 youth who aged out of foster care were placed with foster parents, family members, or transitional housing programs, yet it remains unclear whether these arrangements provide true long-term stability – are these youth still sheltered with family or living independently a month, 6 months, or a year after CFSA facilitates these arrangements upon exit?? While CFSA says this year that 88% of the youth who aged out of care had stable housing in place, we remain concerned that this percentage does not reflect true stability youth require to transition successfully into adulthood.

As an advocacy and policy organization informed by service providers and impacted youth, we see firsthand the struggles these young people face. Applying for and successfully securing a Family Unification Program (FUP) voucher is a complex process that requires significant support. 

• Only 3 of the 29 youth aging out of foster care in fiscal year 2023 applied for a FUP voucher and were recommended by CFSA, though presumably due to the backlog of youth who aged out in earlier years without a FUP voucher a full 40 youth submitted a FUP application that year. 
• Furthermore, of those 40 only 8 youth obtained housing and were utilizing their vouchers that year. 

This highlights a gap in support and coordination that must be addressed. Expecting a young person to navigate DCHA’s bureaucracy, the housing market, and lease-up process all on their own is not realistic. Unfortunately, while CFSA shared in their oversight responses that they expended 38 FUP vouchers in FY24 and served 11 youth with leased up FUP/FYI vouchers, that does not tell us how many of the youth who aged out of foster care in FY24 are actually in housing using that voucher. The District must do more to ensure youth have meaningful support in securing and maintaining stable housing. 

In addition, while 7 youth were served at the CFSA-DBH transitional housing program, Wayne Place, in FY24, it’s unclear how youth requiring similar support in FY25 and later will receive it now that Wayne Place is being closed. 

To address these issues, I urge the Committee to:

1. Strengthen the POKETT Act by requiring CFSA to provide each eligible youth with a clear, actionable housing plan and ensure they are successfully placed (fully moved into) in stable, subsidized housing when needed.
2. Mandate interagency coordination between CFSA, DCHA, DHS, and other relevant agencies to improve voucher access, lease-up support, and ongoing case management for youth aging out of care.
3. Push CFSA for greater transparency around their implementation of the POKETT Act. Please ask how the agency defines voucher utilization success and specifically how many youth exiting their care were supported all the way through moving into subsidized housing.  Future POKETT Act reports must provide a clearer picture of the outcomes for the youth who exited foster care.
4. Amend the POKETT Act to require CFSA to report on housing outcomes at two- and five-year intervals after a youth exits care to assess whether current housing exit planning policies are effective in preventing youth and adult homelessness.

Chair Parker, as you take on this vital oversight role, I hope you will prioritize the housing stability of youth exiting foster care. These young people deserve a fair chance at independent living, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure they do not face homelessness as they transition into adulthood.

Thank you for your time and commitment to this critical issue. I welcome any questions you may have.