LifeWorks Austin

This week, I had the opportunity to attend the Foster Youth Housing Symposium in Washington, DC alongside leaders, advocates, service providers, and policymakers from across the country who are deeply committed to ending the foster youth-to-homelessness pipeline. There was something incredibly meaningful about being in a room filled with people who understand both the urgency of this work and the humanity behind it. Every conversation centered on the same belief: young people transitioning out of foster care deserve stability, support, dignity, and the opportunity to build the futures they envision for themselves. This issue is especially important in Austin, where nearly six in ten young people experiencing homelessness report a history with the foster care system. That reality should stop all of us in our tracks. In one of the wealthiest and fastest-growing cities in the world, too many young people are still aging out of care without the housing, support systems, and stability they need to succeed. We have both a responsibility and an opportunity to change that trajectory. While we were in DC, the U.S. House passed the Fostering the Future Act (H.R. 7432), legislation aimed at strengthening support systems for young people aging out of foster care. The bill would expand housing and supportive service resources, improve coordination across systems, and help communities better respond to the unique challenges foster youth face as they transition into adulthood. Seeing that vote happen during the symposium felt especially powerful and timely. A sincere thank you to Daniel Heimpel for the invitation and for hosting such a thoughtful and impactful event. I’m also grateful to Travis County Commissioner Ann Howard and LifeWorks Austin CEO Liz Schoenfeld, Ph.D. for attending and for their passionate leadership and support in this space. I also want to acknowledge the many people in Austin and across Texas doing this work every day: nonprofit leaders, public servants, advocates, housing providers, educators, and former foster youth who continue pushing for better outcomes and more compassionate systems. The conversations this week reinforced that real progress requires partnership at every level. I’m looking forward to continuing these discussions with state and local leaders in the weeks and months ahead as we work toward policies and investments that help ensure no young person leaves foster care without a pathway to housing, stability, and community.

Earlier this week, I was in DC at the Foster Youth Housing Summit convened by the phenomenal Daniel Heimpel and an incredible group of partners all focused on one thing: making sure young people leaving foster care have a real shot at housing, stability, and the future they want for themselves. I was reminded how this work only moves at the speed of community. The messy, persistent, relationship-driven kind that asks people across systems and sectors to stay at the table and keep building together. That’s certainly true in Texas, where LifeWorks Austin, the City of Austin, and so many partners are working shoulder-to-shoulder to dismantle the foster care-to-homelessness pipeline. I was especially proud to be there alongside David Gray and Commissioner Ann Howard, representing the kind of cross-sector partnership this work demands. And while we were all gathered in DC, the House passed the Foster Youth Housing Opportunity Act — talk about timing! This bipartisan piece of legislation expands the eligible use of Chafee funds to include housing-related supportive services and is part of the broader Fostering the Future Act (H.R. 7432). What a gift to be part of a field full of people who insist on building systems that actually work for young people.

Yesterday, we had the joy of hosting members of the One for Justice summit at LifeWorks Austin, where we shared what we're learning through the Travis County Transformation Project and our flexible financial assistance model (and how we've coupled that intervention with Judge Denise Hernández's Transformative Youth Justice program). In Austin, roughly one-third of youth experiencing homelessness have been involved in the juvenile legal system. Deflecting young people from the legal system—and providing alternatives so they don’t carry a criminal record—is critical to reducing the inflow into homelessness. The intersection between youth homelessness and the legal system is solvable, but only if we’re willing to intervene earlier, remove barriers faster, and build responses that reflect what young people actually need to stabilize. Huge thanks to all the panelists who helped spark such an honest, solutions-oriented conversation about what’s possible when systems are designed around young people (Channing Neary, Andrew Fike, Courtney Sherman-Robinson, Ph.D., LeShawn Arbuckle, Denise Hernández, Bree Torres, Courtney Seals).

Nearly 900 youth in our community are currently experiencing homelessness. While that number is staggering, it is also solvable with the right investments and a commitment to long-term infrastructure. Yesterday, I joined my fellow LifeWorks Austin board members and local community leaders for a hard hat tour of The Works at Tillery. This isn't just a construction site: it’s our third deeply affordable housing community and a critical pillar in our mission to end youth homelessness. As we walked the site, three things stood out regarding our strategic approach: The Continuum of Support: We aren't just building roofs. This model integrates workforce development, education, and mental health services directly into the housing experience to create true, long-term stability. The Safety Net: We are focusing heavily on youth aging out of foster care. This is a population that often faces adulthood without a stable housing plan or a traditional support system. Scale over Relief: Moving beyond short-term relief toward permanent, scalable solutions is how we move the needle on a community-wide level. Proud to stand with a board that understands that solving youth homelessness requires more than just a temporary fix. It requires a foundation. 🏗️