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Committee advances bill to expand housing support and prioritize campus housing for foster and homeless young adults
Summary
SB 584, amended to remove a state cosigner requirement, directs coordination for foster-youth vouchers, prioritizes campus housing for homeless and formerly foster students and requires a statewide study on housing barriers; the committee reported the bill favorably after testimony from young people who had experienced homelessness.
Senate Bill 584, as amended, would change how Florida supports young adults leaving foster care or experiencing homelessness who seek housing while attending state colleges and universities. The Committee on Education Postsecondary adopted an amendment that removes a requirement that state agencies act as cosigners or guarantors on residential leases and instead emphasizes coordination with housing authorities and supportive services.
Sponsor Senator Garcia said the amendment "removes the requirement for state agencies to act as cosigners or guarantors" while preserving the bill’s core support for the federal Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) voucher program. Under the amended bill, state agencies must coordinate with local housing authorities, identify eligible youth, certify child-welfare history and provide or secure supportive services for the duration of the voucher.
Student witnesses described the real-world impact of the programs the bill would expand. Alexia Nechayev, identifying herself as a member of a Florida student advocacy group and a person who aged out of foster care, said she experienced homelessness three times after leaving care and credited the FYI voucher with stabilizing her housing and enabling her to complete a bachelor’s degree. "Thanks to the foster youth independence voucher, I've been able to maintain stable housing and focus on my well-being and education," Nechayev said.
Selena Rose, who said she aged out of foster care, urged the committee to prioritize housing and work-study placements for homeless and formerly foster students, noting that on-campus housing improved her academic access and success and that the lack of housing later led to couch-surfing and homelessness.
The amended bill also directs a statewide study on housing barriers for young adults, to be conducted by OPPAGA (the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability) in consultation with stakeholders and submitted to the governor and Legislature by Dec. 1, 2026.
The committee adopted the amendment by voice vote and then recorded a roll-call vote reporting SB 584 favorably to the next committee of reference.
