Understanding the Housing Experience of Former Foster Youth During the Transition to Adulthood

Background and Purpose: While evidence has mounted that former foster youth face multiple challenges as they transition to adulthood, research has been less explicit in examining how they fare in particular domains. Some research has suggested that former foster youth fare similarly to comparison youth, while other research has suggested their disparity to matched youth or youth in the general population. One domain that seems particular salient for investigation is housing, as former foster youth often face multiple moves during childhood, may have limited familial support, and/or may face an institutionally-forced move during emancipation from care. The present study explores housing outcomes and stability for former foster youth during the transition to adulthood in comparison to other youth.

Methods: Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, this study compared the housing experiences of former foster youth (n=126), matched youth (n=126), and non-matched youth in the general population (n=8194). The matched sample was created using propensity scoring to model the likelihood to be in foster care based on a set of pre-existing characteristics. Propensity scores were created using nearest neighbor 1 to 1 matching with caliper .25σ. Bivariate analysis explored housing experiences related to homelessness, housing stability, housing independence, and living situation during the transition to adulthood. Multivariate analysis was used to examine factors associated with particular housing patterns.

Results: Analysis revealed that housing experiences were similar for former foster youth and youth in the matched sample with some differences to youth in the general population. With regard to homelessness, former foster youth experienced higher rates than youth in the general population, but similar rates to comparison youth. Considering housing stability, the number of moves and the expectation to move within the next year was similar for youth in all three groups. Examining housing independence, experiences were similar across the three groups with regard to living on one's own, the year the youth first moved out, moving back in with parents or guardians, and rates of home ownership. Considering living situation, some differences were noted for former foster youth and youth in the general population, mainly with regard to cohabitation and living in a dormitory. Multivariate analysis suggests housing experiences were tied to income, education level, and other transition experiences rather than foster care history.

Conclusions and Implications: Study findings suggest some areas of promise for former foster youth, mainly their ability to secure stable, independent housing at similar rates and ages to other youth. While these findings suggest success, rates of homelessness are well-above youth in the general population during this transition period. Additionally, their high rates of cohabitation and low rates of dormitory living are likely tied to other transition outcomes around securing adult relationships and obtaining higher levels of education. These factors may set youth up for negative trajectories and have implications for policy and service delivery. Findings from this study are used to provide policy and practice recommendations with regard to housing and transition services for former foster youth.