Request for Information To Promote the Success of the Melania Trump Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Initiative

Issuing agencies

Abstract

HUD is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to solicit feedback from stakeholders on the Melania Trump Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) initiative. HUD will use the information gathered through this RFI to make recommendations to Congress (1) to improve program operations; (2) to assist youth in navigating the housing search process and preventing returns to homelessness after the subsidized rental assistance sunsets; and (3) on how Federal, State, and local stakeholders can best support participants as they transition from foster care to successful adulthood.

Full Text

<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 209 (Friday, October 30, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 209 (Friday, October 30, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68534-68536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-22207]



[[Page 68534]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-6624-N-01]


Request for Information To Promote the Success of the Melania 
Trump Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Initiative

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing 
(PIH), HUD.

ACTION: Request for information.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: HUD is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to solicit 
feedback from stakeholders on the Melania Trump Foster Youth to 
Independence (FYI) initiative. HUD will use the information gathered 
through this RFI to make recommendations to Congress (1) to improve 
program operations; (2) to assist youth in navigating the housing 
search process and preventing returns to homelessness after the 
subsidized rental assistance sunsets; and (3) on how Federal, State, 
and local stakeholders can best support participants as they transition 
from foster care to successful adulthood.

DATES: Comments are requested on or before December 14, 2026. Late-
filed comments will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments responsive 
to this RFI. Copies of all comments submitted are available for 
inspection and downloading at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. To receive 
consideration as public comments, comments must be submitted through 
one of the two methods specified below. All submissions must refer to 
the docket number and title above.
    1. Electronic Submission of Comments. Interested persons may submit 
comments electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. HUD strongly encourages commenters to 
submit comments electronically. Electronic submission of comments 
allows the commenter maximum time to prepare and submit a comment, 
ensures timely receipt by HUD, and enables HUD to make them immediately 
available to the public. Comments submitted electronically through the 
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> website can be viewed by other commenters 
and interested members of the public. Commenters should follow the 
instructions provided on that site to submit comments electronically.
    2. Submission of Comments by Mail. Comments may be submitted by 
mail to the Regulations Division, Office of General Counsel, Department 
of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 
20410.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ryan E. Jones, Director, Housing 
Voucher Management and Operations Division, Office of Public and Indian 
Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street 
SW, Washington, DC 20410; telephone number (202) 402-2677. (This is not 
a toll-free number.) HUD welcomes and is prepared to receive calls from 
individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as individuals 
with speech or communication disabilities. To learn more about how to 
make an accessible telephone call, please visit <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/telecommunications-relay-service-trs">https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/telecommunications-relay-service-trs</a>. Questions about 
this document can be sent to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#01475451576e746269647372416974652f666e77"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="44021114122b31272c213637042c31206a232b32">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Melania Trump Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) was 
established in 2019 in response to the advocacy of foster youth and 
alumni regarding the need for housing assistance for young people upon 
their exit from foster care. According to the Adoption and Foster Care 
Analysis and Reporting System, on average 15,000 young people age-out 
of foster care each year, and nearly 25 percent of youth responding to 
the National Youth in Transition Database report experiencing 
homelessness after leaving foster care. Yet, there were no Federal 
housing resources solely dedicated to serving this population.
    Prior to the establishment of FYI, the primary Federal housing 
resource for young people transitioning out of foster care was the 
Family Unification Program (FUP). Through public housing agencies 
(PHAs), FUP provides housing choice vouchers (HCVs) that can be issued 
to either child welfare-involved families or youth transitioning out of 
foster care.\1\ FUP participants use their HCVs to rent housing in the 
private market and generally pay 30 percent of their adjusted monthly 
income towards rent while the voucher pays the remaining portion of the 
rent. However, FUP vouchers are only available in a small number of 
communities \2\ and have been primarily used to assist child welfare-
involved families, rather than youth transitioning out of foster care. 
When FYI was established in 2019, 95 percent of FUP vouchers were being 
used to serve child welfare-involved families, and the remaining 5 
percent were being used to serve youth transitioning out of foster 
care.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ There are two eligible populations for FUP: (1) Families for 
whom the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in the 
imminent placement of the family's child or children in out-of-home 
care or the delayed discharge of the child or children to the family 
from out-of-home care; and (2) youth who have attained at least 18 
years of age and not more than 24 years of age and who have left 
foster care, or will leave foster care within 180 days, in 
accordance with a transition plan described in section 475(5)(H) of 
the Social Security Act, and is homeless or is at risk of becoming 
homeless at age 16 or older.
    \2\ There are approximately 300 PHAs that administer FUP out of 
the nearly 2,000 PHAs nationwide that administer the HCV program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    FYI provides a dedicated source of vouchers for youth transitioning 
out of foster care. Since fiscal year (FY) 2020, Congress has 
appropriated a total of $165 million for new incremental FYI vouchers. 
Further, in FY 2021, Congress codified an on-demand distribution 
mechanism for FYI vouchers, meaning that any of the more than 2,000 
PHAs administering the HCV program can establish an FYI program and 
request FYI vouchers on a rolling basis to serve youth as they are 
identified.\3\ This enables HUD to provide young people with FYI 
vouchers that are timed with their emancipation from foster care so 
that they do not experience homelessness when they leave care.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ Notice PIH 2026-19 (<a href="https://www.hud.gov/sites/default/files/PIH/documents/PIH-2026-19.pdf">https://www.hud.gov/sites/default/files/PIH/documents/PIH-2026-19.pdf</a>) is the most recent notice 
implementing this on-demand process.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    To establish an FYI program, a PHA must enter into a partnership 
agreement with a public child welfare agency (PCWA). Under the 
partnership agreement, the PHA provides the youth with FYI voucher 
assistance for 36 months, which may be extended for up to an additional 
24 months if the youth is working toward economic self-sufficiency or 
meets one of the statutory exceptions to this requirement.\4\ The

[[Page 68535]]

PCWA provides or secures the provision of supportive services for the 
youth for 36 months. The combination of time-limited rental assistance 
and supportive services is intended to provide youth with a platform to 
move toward economic self-sufficiency.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ The Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities (FSHO) 
amendments, enacted as section 103 of division Q of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2021 on December 27, 2020 (Pub. L. 116-260), 
provide an extension of FYI assistance for up to 24 months for youth 
participating in a Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program under 
section 23 of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 and for youth who are 
unable to enroll in an FSS program who engaged in education, 
workforce development, or employment activities for at least 9 
months of the 12-month period preceding the extension. FSHO also 
provides an extension of assistance for up to 24 months for youth 
who meet one of the following exceptions: (1) The youth is a parent 
or other household member responsible for the care of a dependent 
child under the age of 6 or for the care of an incapacitated person; 
(2) The youth is a person who is regularly and actively 
participating in a drug addiction or alcohol treatment and 
rehabilitation program; or (3) The youth is a person who is 
incapable of complying with the requirement to participate in an FSS 
program or engage in education, workforce development, or employment 
activities, as applicable, due to a documented medical condition. 
See HUD's FSHO implementation notice published in the Federal 
Register on January 24, 2022 (87 FR 3570).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Since the rollout of FYI, HUD has allocated more than 9,000 FYI 
vouchers to assist individual youth. Yet, HUD recognizes that many more 
youth can benefit from the program. While FYI has experienced steady 
growth with the program being administered by 373 PHAs in 48 states and 
the U.S. Virgin Islands as of June 2026 Voucher Management System (VMS) 
data, there are still many communities where youth cannot access FYI. 
Further, as of June 2026 VMS data, eligible youth are utilizing only 64 
percent of the more than 8,000 available FYI vouchers to lease a unit.
    HUD has heard anecdotally that the uptake of FYI vouchers has been 
limited due to various administrative barriers that communities and 
young people face when trying to access FYI. Through this RFI, HUD is 
interested in learning what statutory, regulatory, and policy 
requirements are preventing communities from participating in FYI; what 
barriers young people face in accessing and utilizing an FYI voucher; 
and what changes can be made to reduce these barriers. Since FY 2024, 
Congress has provided HUD with the authority to establish waivers and 
alternative requirements related to the administration of waiting 
lists, local preferences, the initial term and extensions of tenant-
based vouchers, and the timing of referral of youth leaving foster 
care, in order to reduce barriers to accessing and utilizing an FYI 
voucher. HUD implemented this waiver authority through Notice PIH 2025-
08. HUD is interested in learning whether statutory or regulatory 
barriers remain and, if so, what statutory changes and/or waiver 
authority for the HCV program or FYI program beyond that which has 
already been provided would help increase utilization of FYI. HUD is 
also interested in learning how PHAs are taking advantage of the 
changes that were recently made through Notice PIH 2026-19 to help 
expand access to FYI, specifically the elimination of the utilization 
threshold and the removal of the cap on the number of FYI vouchers that 
can be requested.
    HUD has also heard that the lack of dedicated Federal resources for 
supportive services can pose a barrier to establishing an FYI program, 
particularly in smaller, rural communities where there are few or no 
local resources for supportive services. HUD welcomes comments on how 
Federal resources can be better targeted or coordinated to reduce these 
barriers and support youth as they transition from foster care to 
successful adulthood. Additionally, HUD is interested in feedback on 
what changes can be made to the program to ensure that it provides a 
platform for youth to achieve economic self-sufficiency consistent with 
the goals of the Fostering the Future initiative established under 
Executive Order 14359, Fostering the Future for American Children and 
Families.

II. Purpose of This Request for Information

    HUD is interested in promoting and strengthening FYI and supporting 
the goals of the Fostering the Future initiative established under 
Executive Order 14359, Fostering the Future for American Children and 
Families. HUD will share the information received through this RFI with 
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and separately 
consult with HHS on these topics. In accordance with Senate Report 119-
47, HUD will use the information gathered through this RFI and its 
consultation with HHS to issue a report to Congress with its 
recommendations: (1) to improve program operations; (2) to assist youth 
in navigating the housing search process and preventing returns to 
homelessness after the subsidized rental assistance sunsets; and (3) on 
how Federal, State, and local stakeholders can best support 
participants as they transition from foster care to successful 
adulthood.

III. Request for Information

    Senate Report 119-47 requests that HUD consult with stakeholders on 
FUP, which includes FYI. While FUP serves two eligible populations--
families and youth--HUD interprets the Senate Report language as being 
specific to the youth population served under FUP. For example, the 
Senate Report suggests that HUD consult with stakeholders on statutory 
time limits, which only apply to the youth population served under FUP. 
Further, the Senate Report asks HUD to use the information gathered 
through the stakeholder consultations to make recommendations to 
Congress on areas that are specific to youth (i.e., assisting youth in 
navigating the housing search process, preventing returns to 
homelessness after the subsidized rental assistance ends, and 
supporting participants as they transition from foster care to 
successful adulthood). Therefore, HUD is issuing this RFI to solicit 
feedback on FYI specifically from current and former foster youth, 
PHAs, PCWAs, experts on child welfare, and other stakeholders regarding 
any potential program challenges due to statutory time limits, 
statutory criteria, policy definitions, or other operational aspects of 
FYI. While this RFI focuses on FYI, HUD also welcomes comments from 
PHAs that do not participate in FYI but administer FUP vouchers issued 
to youth, particularly those administering the FUP-FSS demonstration 
established under Notice PIH 2016-01 (<a href="https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/16-01pihn.pdf">https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/16-01pihn.pdf</a>). HUD also welcomes comments from PHAs that do 
not currently participate in FYI regarding barriers to implementing an 
FYI program.
    Consistent with Senate Report 119-47, HUD is requesting information 
on the topics below but welcomes comments on all aspects of FYI.
    Statutory time limits. By statute, a youth may receive FYI 
assistance for 36 months, which may be extended for up to an additional 
24 months if the youth meets one of the following criteria:
    1. The youth is participating in an FSS program under section 23 of 
the U.S. Housing Act of 1937;
    2. If the youth is unable to enroll in an FSS program, the youth 
engaged in education, workforce development, or employment activities 
for at least 9 months of the 12-month period preceding the extension; 
or
    3. The youth meets one of the following exceptions: the youth is a 
parent or other household member responsible for the care of a 
dependent child under the age of 6 or for the care of an incapacitated 
person; the youth is a person who is regularly and actively 
participating in a drug addiction or alcohol treatment and 
rehabilitation program; or the youth is a person who is incapable of 
complying with the requirement to participate in an FSS program or 
engage in education, workforce development, or employment activities, 
as applicable, due to a documented medical condition.
    Questions for consideration:
    <bullet> Is 36 months, with an opportunity for a 24-month 
extension, the appropriate amount of time for youth to achieve self-
sufficiency? If not, what would be the appropriate amount of time?
    <bullet> Have youth been able to take advantage of the 24-month 
extension? If not, why not?
    <bullet> Are there other types of self-sufficiency activities that 
should qualify youth for the 24-month extension in addition to those 
already recognized under the law?

[[Page 68536]]

    <bullet> Are there unique challenges for PHAs to administer a time-
limited voucher in comparison to regular vouchers?
    Statutory criteria. By statute, a youth must meet the following 
criteria to be eligible for FYI:
    1. Is at least 18 years of age and not more than 24 years of age;
    2. Has left foster care, or will leave foster care within 180 
days,\5\ in accordance with a transition plan described in section 
475(5)(H) of the Social Security Act; and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ Section 8(x)(2) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 
U.S.C. 1437f(x)(2)) allows youth to be referred for FYI assistance 
within 90 days of transitioning out of foster care. HUD has used the 
waiver and alternative requirement authority provided in recent 
appropriations acts to extend the referral timeframe to within 180 
days of transitioning out of foster care (see Notice PIH 2025-08 
(<a href="https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/PIH_2025-08.pdf">https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/PIH_2025-08.pdf</a>).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. Is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless at age 16 or older.
    Questions for consideration:
    <bullet> Does the age eligibility requirement pose a barrier to 
otherwise eligible youth accessing FYI?
    <bullet> HUD recently extended the referral timeframe from 90 days 
to 180 days prior to when a youth will transition out of foster care in 
order to allow more time for the youth to find housing with an FYI 
voucher prior to leaving foster care. Is 180 days enough time or would 
another timeframe be more appropriate?
    <bullet> While not required by statute, HUD has historically 
defined ``homeless'' and ``at risk of becoming homeless'' in the FYI 
program using the definitions for ``homeless'' and ``at risk of 
homelessness'' in the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program and the 
Continuum of Care (CoC) program. In the most recent FYI notice,\6\ HUD 
no longer uses the ESG and CoC definition of ``at risk of 
homelessness'' verbatim but has made several changes to the definition 
to expand who is considered ``at risk of becoming homeless'' for FYI 
vouchers awarded through the non-competitive process. Specifically, HUD 
revised the definition to change the income eligibility requirement 
from 30 percent of area median income to 50 percent of area median 
income, removed the requirement to not have sufficient resources or 
support networks immediately available to prevent moving to an 
emergency shelter or another place described in the ESG and CoC 
definition of ``homeless,'' and revised several items on the list of 
additional conditions. Are these the appropriate definitions to apply 
or should HUD use different definitions of ``homeless'' and ``at risk 
of becoming homeless'' in the FYI program?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ Notice PIH 2026-19 (<a href="https://www.hud.gov/sites/default/files/PIH/documents/PIH-2026-19.pdf">https://www.hud.gov/sites/default/files/PIH/documents/PIH-2026-19.pdf</a>).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Policy definitions. The policy definitions applicable to FYI can be 
found in the various funding notices for the program.\7\ Most 
significantly, the funding notices establish policies in the following 
areas: partnership agreements, supportive services, and youth 
prioritization.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ See FY 2020/2021 FYI-Competitive NOFA (FR-6400-N-41); FY 
2022 FYI-Competitive NOFO (FR-6600-N-41); FY 2024 FYI-Competitive 
NOFO (FR-6800-N-41); FYI-Tenant Protection Voucher Notice (Notice 
PIH 2019-20); and FYI Non-Competitive Notices (Notices PIH 2020-28, 
PIH 2021-26, PIH 2023-04, and PIH 2026-19).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Questions for consideration:
    <bullet> What are changes that HUD can make in these policy areas 
to help facilitate the provision of FYI and better support youth?
    Operational aspects: HUD requests information on any other 
operational aspects of FYI that could be improved.
    Questions for consideration:
    <bullet> What changes can be made to FYI to better assist youth in 
navigating the housing search process?
    <bullet> What changes can be made to FYI to better prevent youth 
from returning to homelessness after the subsidized rental assistance 
sunsets?
    <bullet> How can Federal, State, and local stakeholders best 
support FYI youth?
    <bullet> What barriers do communities face when trying to establish 
an FYI program?
    <bullet> What barriers do youth face in accessing and utilizing an 
FYI voucher?
    <bullet> Does the lack of dedicated Federal resources for 
supportive services pose a barrier to establishing an FYI program, and 
how can Federal resources be better targeted or coordinated to support 
youth as they transition from foster care to successful adulthood?
    <bullet> Since FY 2024, Congress has provided HUD with the 
authority to establish waivers and alternative requirements related to 
the administration of waiting lists, local preferences, the initial 
term and extensions of tenant-based vouchers, and the timing of 
referral of youth leaving foster care, in order to reduce barriers to 
accessing and utilizing an FYI voucher. HUD implemented this waiver 
authority through Notice PIH 2025-08. Are there statutory changes and/
or waiver authority for the HCV program or FYI program beyond that 
which has already been provided that would help increase utilization of 
FYI? If yes, please explain.
    <bullet> How are PHAs taking advantage of the changes that were 
recently made through Notice PIH 2026-19 to help expand access to FYI, 
specifically the elimination of the utilization threshold and the 
removal of the cap on the number of FYI vouchers that can be requested?
    <bullet> What are other aspects of FYI that could be improved?
    HUD is also interested in feedback on what changes can be made to 
the program to ensure that it provides a platform for youth to achieve 
economic self-sufficiency consistent with the goals of the Fostering 
the Future initiative established under Executive Order 14359, 
Fostering the Future for American Children and Families.

Benjamin Hobbs,
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. 2026-22207 Filed 10-29-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P


</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>