Even as drastic budget cuts hit across the agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is boosting investment in one area: housing assistance for former foster youth.
What’s uncertain is how much that new funding could be offset by the broader cuts.
HUD this month announced a $1.8 million investment in its Foster Youth to Independence Program, an initiative that gives housing vouchers to people transitioning out of foster care. The White House has billed the program — and foster services more generally — as a priority for first lady Melania Trump. The president’s “skinny” budget proposal included $25 million in new funding for foster youth, despite an overall 43% cut to HUD’s funding.