Support SB 492 – Youth Housing Bond Fund Act

This Foster Care Awareness Month, A Sense of Home is activating our dedicated community to combat homelessness and housing instability for California’s most vulnerable youth: aged-out foster youth. We urge advocates like you to use your voice this May and support SB 492 – the Youth Housing Bond Fund Act of 2025.

By prioritizing building housing and supporting capital expenditures for necessary equipment for youth housing, SB 492 will increase the availability and accessibility of youth housing to help stem the pipeline of youth homelessness to chronic adult homelessness, including aged-out foster youth.

Historically, California voters have approved two statewide bonds to create housing for youth through the Youth Center and Youth Shelter Bond Act of 1988 and Proposition 1C of 2006. However, the last statewide housing bond in 2018 DID NOT include targeted resources for youth. We need your voice.

How to Help: 

1.  Visit the CA Legislation Position Letter Portal via  https://calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates
2. Create an account as an individual (not as a lobbyist or organization). This step includes receiving a confirmation email with a temporary password and logging in to create your own password.
3. Search SB 492 and “Youth Housing Bond Act of 2025” will pop-up.
4. Click “Support” and copy the letter below.
5. Hit “Submit” and urge your networks to do the same!

SB 492 Letter Template: 

[DATE]

Senator Mike McGuire
Chair, Senate Rules Committee
Capitol Office, 1021 O Street, Suite 8518
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: SB 492 (Menjivar) – Youth Housing Bond Fund Act of 2025 – SUPPORT

Dear Senator McGuire:

My name is [NAME] and as a community member with A Sense of Home, I’m writing to support SB 492 (Menjivar), which will combat homelessness and housing instability for California’s most vulnerable youth. By prioritizing building housing and supporting capital expenditures for necessary equipment for youth housing, SB 492 will increase the availability and accessibility of youth housing to help stem the pipeline of youth homelessness to chronic adult homelessness, including aged-out foster youth.

I care about preventing homelessness for aged-out foster youth because [REASON].

Youth aging out of foster care are charged with the almost insurmountable feat of securing housing, finding employment, and quickly becoming self-sufficient all on their own. They work so hard to beat the odds – 1 out of every 4 youth in foster care experience homelessness within four years of aging out, and according to Chapin Hall’s CalYouth study, over 35% of youth reported they experienced homelessness while actively enrolled in extended foster care.

The purpose of extended foster care is to prevent homelessness among youth as they enter early adulthood. However, without sufficient supported housing, youth are struggling to attain housing. Failure to support youth while they are in extended foster care and our transition aged youth experiencing homelessness results in increased chronic homelessness and disconnection as adults. We as a community need to do better.

Non-profit community-based organizations like A Sense of Home provide support to individuals who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness through targeted services. Invested in improving communities, organizations like ASOH are experts in identifying the specific housing needs, gaps and coordinate efforts to support transition aged youth as they transition to stable housing.

This proposal builds on previous investments in creating safe and available housing for our state’s at-risk youth. SB 492 will address the ongoing need to develop housing to support current and former foster youth and youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness. According to the California Homeless Youth Project, there are only enough beds for 23% of the state’s transition age youth population experiencing homelessness.

SB 492 will increase housing stability and enhance the impact of California’s investments in housing for youth by creating a dedicated funding source, the Youth Housing Bond Fund Act of 2025, to combat youth homelessness, and by allowing both public agencies and community-based organizations with specific youth expertise to directly apply for the youth bond funds.

For the reasons noted above, myself and countless A Sense of Home community members support SB 492 and request your support on the measure.

Sincerely,

[Name, Title and/or Affiliations]

cc: Members and Staff, Senate Committee on Housing,
Senator Menjivar