Fostering the Future Act

Darin LaHood

Republican · IL · Representative

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

• Gwen Moore (D-WI-4)Original· 2026-02-09
• Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11)· 2026-04-27
• Danny K. Davis (D-IL-7)· 2026-04-29
• David Schweikert (R-AZ-1)· 2026-04-29
• Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16)· 2026-04-29
• Michael Lawler (R-NY-17)· 2026-05-11

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

2026-05-20

Source: Congress.gov

Foster Youth Housing Opportunity Act This bill expands states' permissible uses of federal funds under the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (Chafee program) to include supportive housing services. The Chafee program is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Children's Bureau and provides funding to support youth and young adults who are in, or were formerly in, foster care with their transition to adulthood. The program is funded through formula grants awarded to child welfare agencies in states, certain territories, and participating tribes. The bill allows states to use such funds to provide supportive services (e.g., financial counseling) for youth up to the age of 26 who are seeking to obtain or retain housing and who have experienced foster care and receive assistance under the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 Family Unification Program. Additionally, HHS and HUD must jointly develop and issue guidance to state public child welfare agencies and public housing authorities to improve alignment and coordination of housing supportive services. HHS, in consultation with HUD, also must report information about foster youth who are receiving federal housing assistance and the outcomes for such youth, including the extent to which such youth are able to access stable housing and the rates of homelessness. The report must include findings from any evaluations of state programs and recommendations for improving coordination between public child welfare agencies and federal housing programs.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 7432 Reported in House (RH)] <DOC> Union Calendar No. 560 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7432 [Report No. 119-643, Part I] To amend section 477 of the Social Security Act to improve coordination with Federal housing assistance programs for youth who have experienced foster care. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 9, 2026 Mr. LaHood (for himself and Ms. Moore of Wisconsin) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned May 11, 2026 Additional sponsors: Ms. Malliotakis, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Schweikert, Mr. Davis of Illinois, and Mr. Lawler May 11, 2026 Reported from the Committee on Ways and Means with an amendment [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] May 11, 2026 Committee on Financial Services discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 9, 2026] _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend section 477 of the Social Security Act to improve coordination with Federal housing assistance programs for youth who have experienced foster care. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Foster Youth Housing Opportunity Act''. SEC. 2. IMPROVING ACCESS TO HOUSING FOR FOSTER YOUTH. Section 477 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 677) is amended-- (1) in subsection (a)(1)-- (A) by striking ``and preventive'' and inserting ``preventive''; and (B) by inserting ``, and access to housing for youth age 18 or older'' before the semicolon; (2) in subsection (a)(4), by inserting ``current and'' before ``former''; (3) in subsection (b)(2)(D), by inserting ``, including by collaborating with public housing agencies that administer Federal housing programs serving foster youth under section 8(x)(2)(B) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 and receive funding to partner with public child welfare agencies to serve youth who have experienced foster care'' before the period; (4) in subsection (b)(3)(B), by striking ``not more than 30 percent of the amounts paid to the State from its allotment under subsection (c) for a fiscal year'' and inserting ``an average of not more than 30 percent of the amounts paid to the State from its allotment under subsection (c) for the 5 fiscal years covered by the application submitted by the State pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection''; (5) in subsection (d), by adding at the end the following: ``(6) Housing supportive services.-- ``(A) In general.--A State may use amounts from its allotment under subsection (c) to provide supportive services to assist eligible youth who experienced foster care to obtain or retain suitable housing. ``(B) Definitions.-- ``(i) Eligible youth.--In this subsection, the term `eligible youth' means an individual who receives assistance provided under section 8(x) of the United States Housing Act of 1937. ``(ii) Supportive services.--The term `supportive services' may include-- ``(I) basic life skills information and counseling on financial literacy, use of credit, and money management; ``(II) counseling on rental lease contracts and assistance with rental insurance; and ``(III) assistance with security deposits, utility connection fees, moving costs, and other fees associated with establishing tenancy. ``(C) Exception.--Expenditures in accordance with this paragraph shall not be considered…

expenditures for room and board for purposes of subsection (b)(3)(B). ``(D) Aligning age eligibility.--Notwithstanding subsection (b)(3)(A)(ii), a State may use funds from its allotment under subsection (c) to provide supportive services to eligible youth who have not attained 26 years of age for the purpose of supporting continued access to housing.''; and (6) in subsection (g)(1), by inserting ``access to housing,'' before ``and personal''. SEC. 3. JOINT AGENCY GUIDANCE. (a) In General.--Within 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, shall develop and issue joint guidance to State public child welfare agencies and public housing authorities to improve alignment and coordination of housing supportive services provided under section 477 of the Social Security Act and housing assistance provided under section 8(x) of the United States Housing Act of 1937. (b) Contents.--The joint guidance shall include the following: (1) Clarification and alignment of Federal policies to improve access to housing for youth who have experienced foster care, including youth who are in independent living arrangements while in extended foster care. (2) Guidance on State use of funds provided under section 477 of the Social Security Act for supportive services (as defined in subsection (d)(6) of such section) to improve access to housing programs administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. (3) Best practices for building partnerships between public child welfare agencies and public housing authorities, including ways to improve access to supportive services. (4) Additional information the Secretaries deem necessary to effectively coordinate Federal programs serving current and former foster youth. (c) Production.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall designate an official of the Department of Health and Human Services to lead development of the joint guidance in collaboration with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS. Within 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall submit to the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate a report that sets forth-- (1) aggregate data on the number of eligible youth who have experienced foster care who are receiving Federal housing assistance; (2) a description of the outcomes for the youth, including the extent to which youth are able to access stable housing and rates of homelessness; (3) the findings from any evaluations of State programs conducted pursuant to section 477(g)(1) of the Social Security Act; and (4) statutory recommendations for improving coordination between public child welfare agencies and Federal housing programs. SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act. Union Calendar No. 560 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7432 [Report No. 119-643, Part I] _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend section 477 of the Social Security Act to improve coordination with Federal housing assistance programs for youth who have experienced foster care. _______________________________________________________________________ May 11, 2026 Reported from the Committee on Ways and Means with an amendment May 11, 2026 Committee on Financial Services discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

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