Andrew Powell
A bill to boost housing access for young adults who have spent time in the foster care system was unanimously advanced by the Senate Education Postsecondary Committee Monday,
Miami Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia presented the measure (SB 584) and started by explaining an amendment that was adopted that removed certain requirements from the original bill. Garcia said the change emphasizes coordination rather than providing guarantees.
“Specifically, it removes the requirement for state agencies to act as co-signers or guarantors on residential leases for foster youth currently not under the voucher program,” Garcia said. “However, it does preserve the core provisions that support the federal Youth to Independence, the FYI program. Agencies are still required to coordinate with local housing authorities, identify eligible youth, certify their child welfare history, and provide and secure supportive services for the duration of the housing voucher.”
The bill would support the FYI program by mandating a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to implement it in Florida fully.
Boynton Beach Democratic Sen. Lori Berman asked why the bill was being amended, noting that she liked that youth were getting so much financial support. In response, Garcia said the fiscal impact forced her to remove it from the original bill, but she pointed out that it was regrettable that it couldn’t be left in.
“The fiscal impact,” Garcia said. “The fiscal impact was going to be huge, and we wanted to make sure that we can take care of the ones that are currently under that program.”
Garcia said she was inspired by the youth she worked with as a state Senator and noted that the bill is one of many that aims to help them succeed.
“You know, housing, we take it so for granted, sometimes we take our parents for granted,” Garcia said. “This is another wonderful bill of the many that we have run, that we continue to work on. All of us together, bipartisan, which is what I love to do.”
Garcia said that the bill would prioritize housing for vulnerable students by requiring Florida College System Institutions and state universities to give first priority to housing and work-study opportunities to students who are homeless or formally in the foster care system and are having difficulty aging out.
Schools would also be prohibited from requiring a co-signer or guarantor when vulnerable students receive housing assistance through state programs.
“I think that it’s very important that it expands all throughout Florida,” Garcia said. “Also, this ensures that young people aging out of foster care receive properly coordinated housing support.”
The bill further requires a state-wide study, directing the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to conduct comprehensive research on young adults’ barriers to securing housing. The study must involve key stakeholders and be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature by Dec. 1, 2026.
The measure will now move to the Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee.
One comment
Oscar
April 1, 2025 at 4:18 pm
While I am sure this is well meaning, it is precisely the type of taxpayer funded boondoggle that lacks any rational basis. These days virtually everyone is ‘vulnerable’ or ‘having difficulty’ but that does not mean taxpayers are responsible for funding solutions for all. And of course we need yet another taxpayer funded study to tell us the solution to every problem is to spend more money as if that has ever solved any societal ill.