NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority announced on Thursday that it received a sizable award to assist with housing and support services for Hampton Roads community youth aging out of foster care.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development presented $84,685 to the NRHA to help 10 young people get the support they need in an effort to prevent them from homelessness.
According to the release, the HUD Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Initiative began last summer to give safe, affordable housing and support services to youth exiting the program due to age who have a history of child welfare and are considered at risk of homelessness.
“No young person who grows up in foster care should experience homelessness,” said HUD Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Joseph DeFelice in his announcement. “The foundation of a stable life is stable housing and this initiative will allow local housing authorities, working child welfare agencies and homeless planners, to focus this housing assistance to those young people who need it most.”
Since the initiative began, fifteen housing authorities nationwide have shared nearly $410,277 in additional funding. In Hampton Roads, 61 housing vouchers have been awarded to house at-risk youth in Newport News (12), Chesapeake (25), Portsmouth (14) and Norfolk (10).