Opinion: Newsom reneges on his promise to California’s foster youth
As a parent to seven young adults, one of whom was in foster care, and having served as the CEO of a foster care housing and mental health agency for over three decades, I’ve intimately witnessed the struggles and traumas faced by youth transitioning out of foster care. These challenges are only exacerbated by the exorbitant cost of living in Silicon Valley.
Like many of you, I’ve experienced firsthand the financial housing strain faced by young adults, including my own children, with two of them returning home after college due to the inability to afford astronomical rents.
Shockingly, recent data from RentCafe reveals that 25% of millennials (ages 27-42) and a staggering 75% of Generation Z (ages 18-26) in the Bay Area live in multigenerational households, highlighting the immense housing crisis gripping our region.
But what about young adults in foster care who age out at 18 or 20 without the support of families?
Far too many of these former foster youth, especially Black and Brown youth, find themselves homeless as they embark on their journey into adulthood after leaving foster care. A Bay Area Legal Aid Youth Homelessness report shows that 75% of San Francisco Bay Area homeless youth were formerly in foster care and/or involved in the juvenile justice system.
Furthermore, a May 2023 report by the United Way ranked San Jose No. 1 in the nation for homeless young adults ages 18-24. These are appalling statistics — especially here in one of the most affluent and well-resourced regions in the nation.
As a parent, can you imagine allowing your child to leave home at 18 without a safe place to call their own? Yet, this is the reality for many young adults exiting foster care, thrust into adulthood without a safety net, despite California’s reputation for progressive legislation.
In 2010, Assembly Bill 12 extended foster care benefits for ages 18-20 and established the Supervised Independent Living Program (SILP), providing a beacon of hope for thousands of youths. However, the monthly support of $799 remained frozen for a decade, failing to keep pace with the rising cost of living.
Last year, there was hope and great jubilation with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed increase in SILP funding to a basic rate of $1,129, along with the addition of a SILP supplement aligning with HUD fair market rents by county. This supplement considers the regional cost of living ranging from Merced County at $1,532 to Santa Clara County at $2,381.
However, the governor’s January proposed budget fails to honor his promise, leaving nearly 3,000 young adults in limbo. This will also affect countless more who will turn 18 and face the grim realities of homelessness, unemployment, incarceration, unplanned pregnancies and mental health challenges upon aging out of foster care.
It’s a betrayal of our duty to not protect the most vulnerable members of our society and perpetuates a cycle of trauma and despair. If we fail to see these young people as deserving of the same resources and opportunities as our own children, we relegate them to a permanent underclass status limiting their dreams and aspirations.
The proposed budget cuts are not only misguided; they are morally reprehensible. One of the most effective ways to address our homelessness crisis is by preventing young adults from becoming homeless in the first place. The governor should restore his promise and prioritize funding for our foster youth.
André V. Chapman is founder and president of Fostering Promise, a youth-driven advocacy agency.