New Florida Law Expands Housing Support for Youth Exiting Foster Care

Geori Seldine has dedicated the majority of her career to fearlessly advocating for children and youth, ensuring that they are prioritized in policy decisions. For the past decade, she has worked with Florida’s Children First (FCF), an award-winning non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the rights of at-risk children and youth in foster care. FCF focuses on making big systemic changes that improve the system for thousands of youth in foster care today, and in the future.

The unanimous, bipartisan support this bill received is a testament to the powerful voices and persistence of its advocates

Before her promotion to Executive Director in 2022, Geori served as FCF’s Statewide Director of Florida Youth SHINE (FYS). FCF helped young people create FYS, a youth-led, peer-driven organization that empowers current and former youth in foster care to become leaders and advocates within their communities. One of the ways FYS accomplishes this is by providing youth from foster care the support they need to reach their full potential as advocates for their own needs. This year, FCF helped more than three dozen FYS members travel to Tallahassee to meet with more than 80 legislators during the state’s legislative session to discuss Senate Bill 584/House Bill 879, also known as “Young Adult Housing Support.” The bill was signed by Governor DeSantis on June 27, 2025, after passing unanimously in both chambers of the Florida Legislature.

What does the new “Young Adult Housing Support” law accomplish, and why is it significant?

This law, which took effect July 1, 2025, provides housing support to youth aging out of foster care and those facing homelessness. It ensures they are prioritized for campus housing and work-study programs, expands access to Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) housing vouchers statewide, and makes it easier for those who have aged out of foster care to get into residential leases.

This law is the direct result of the advocacy of FYS, whose members identified housing instability as a top issue. Now, Florida is taking a comprehensive, statewide approach to help vulnerable youth secure stable housing as they transition into adulthood.

What impact will this law have on post-secondary education opportunities for youth in foster care?

Housing insecurity often forces youth to choose between education and stability. This new law helps eliminate that choice by prioritizing youth from foster care for campus housing and expanding supportive resources, such as FYI vouchers. It gives these young adults the stability they need to focus on academics and career goals, transforming access to higher education from an uphill battle into a viable path to long-term independence.

What challenges were these young adults facing prior to this law, and how does it address those barriers?

Before this legislation, FYI vouchers were only available in 17 of Florida’s 67 counties, creating geographic limitations that made it nearly impossible for many eligible youth to use the program. Those who moved for college or job opportunities often lost access to housing support. The new law not only expands voucher access statewide but also mandates outreach to ensure that young adults formerly in foster care are aware of their eligibility. Additionally, it directs the state to study and propose solutions for remaining housing barriers.

How did Florida Youth SHINE contribute to the passage of this legislation?

Florida Youth SHINE played an essential leadership role. The courageous advocacy of more than three dozen young FYS members who took time off from school and work to travel to meet with legislators in Tallahassee to share their personal struggles with homelessness was instrumental in showing lawmakers the urgency of this issue. The unanimous, bipartisan support this bill received is a testament to the powerful voices and persistence of its advocates.

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