HR3977-119

What This Bill Does

The Campus Housing Affordability for Foster Youth Act expands housing assistance flexibility for a narrow student population. It removes a prior prohibition on housing assistance to students from a 2006 appropriations law. It then allows the HUD Secretary to waive any section 8 tenant-based assistance requirement for a student who is enrolled in higher education, lives in an on-campus housing facility maintained by the institution, and is in foster care, was in foster care, or was declared an emancipated minor by a court. The bill also protects the assistance from being counted as income when determining eligibility for federal or institutional student financial aid, cooperative education work income, National and Community Service Act living allowances, or child support obligations. The effect is to let foster youth and emancipated minor students receive voucher assistance for campus housing without triggering other benefit or support calculations.

Who Benefits and How

Foster youth students benefit because HUD may waive voucher rules so tenant-based assistance can support on-campus housing. Former foster youth students benefit from the same campus housing pathway even after leaving foster care. Emancipated minor students benefit if a court emancipation order qualifies them for waiver treatment. Campus housing offices benefit when students with housing instability can use assistance for on-campus facilities. Student financial aid offices benefit from a clear rule excluding this assistance from income calculations.

Who Bears the Burden and How

HUD voucher staff must administer waiver decisions for eligible foster youth and emancipated minor students. Public housing agencies must coordinate tenant-based assistance with on-campus housing arrangements. Child support agencies must exclude covered assistance from child-support calculations. Federal taxpayers bear the cost if more voucher assistance is used for campus housing. Students outside the foster-care or emancipation categories remain subject to ordinary restrictions.

Key Provisions

• Repeals the appropriations-law prohibition on housing assistance to students.
• Authorizes HUD to waive section 8 requirements for eligible students living in on-campus housing.
• Limits eligibility to students in foster care, former foster youth, or emancipated minors.
• Excludes covered assistance from student aid, cooperative education, living allowance, and child support income calculations.