HUD Invites Ideas for Melania-Branded Foster Youth Housing Initiative
Published Date: 10/30/2026
Notice
Summary
HUD wants your ideas to make the Melania Trump Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) program even better! This program helps young people leaving foster care find and keep stable housing so they don’t become homeless. Share your thoughts by December 14, 2026, to help shape future support and funding for these youth as they step into adulthood.
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
36-Month Voucher with 24-Month Extension
The FYI program provides time-limited rental assistance for 36 months. That assistance may be extended for up to an additional 24 months if the youth participates in a Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program, completed at least 9 months of education/work activities (if unable to enroll in FSS), or meets one of three exceptions (is a parent/caregiver of a child under age 6, is in regular addiction/alcohol treatment, or has a documented medical condition preventing compliance).
Eligibility: Ages 18–24 and 180-Day Referral
To be eligible for FYI a youth must be at least 18 and not more than 24 years old and must have left foster care or will leave foster care within 180 days. HUD has extended the referral timeframe to within 180 days prior to transition (previously 90 days under statute, extended via waiver authority).
Wider 'At Risk' Definition (50% AMI)
For FYI vouchers awarded through the non-competitive process, HUD revised the 'at risk of becoming homeless' definition by changing the income eligibility requirement from 30 percent of area median income (AMI) to 50 percent of AMI, removing the requirement about insufficient resources/support networks, and revising other conditions.
Waiver Authority to Reduce Access Barriers
Since fiscal year 2024, Congress gave HUD authority to establish waivers and alternative requirements related to waiting lists, local preferences, the initial term and extensions of tenant-based vouchers, and the timing of referral of youth leaving foster care. HUD implemented this waiver authority via Notice PIH 2025-08.
Removal of Voucher Caps and Thresholds
HUD removed the utilization threshold and the cap on the number of FYI vouchers that can be requested through changes implemented in Notice PIH 2026-19, allowing any public housing agency (PHA) administering Housing Choice Vouchers to establish an FYI program and request vouchers on a rolling basis.
No Dedicated Supportive-Services Funding; Rural Gap
HUD identifies that the lack of dedicated Federal resources for supportive services can be a barrier to establishing an FYI program, particularly in smaller, rural communities where few or no local resources for supportive services exist. HUD requests feedback on how Federal resources could be better targeted or coordinated.
Limited Uptake and Geographic Gaps
Since FY 2020 Congress appropriated $165 million for new FYI vouchers and HUD has allocated more than 9,000 FYI vouchers. As of June 2026, 373 PHAs in 48 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands administer FYI, but eligible youth are utilizing only 64 percent of more than 8,000 available FYI vouchers to lease a unit, indicating gaps in access or uptake.
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