May 25, 2006

The Honorable Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,
I am writing to ask for your support of Senate Bill 1576, which will promote higher education, employment and housing stability among the over 4,000 youth who "emancipate" annually from the state's foster care system. SB 1576 will help California by accomplishing four goals:

1. Improve youth outcomes by expanding access to THP-Plus. THP-Plus is the state housing program designed to assist foster youth in transition. It provides a wide range of supportive services, including affordable housing, employment training, educational counseling, mental health services, and life skills training. Evaluation data has found that THP-Plus works: participants are three times less likely to be incarcerated, four times less likely to be homeless, two times more likely to complete high school and have quarterly earning that are two times greater than the general population of former foster youth.
2. Promote consistency across counties: Currently, assistance provided to homeless former foster youth varies considerably between counties. SB 1576 will ensure that the success of foster youth is based on their ability to access consistent services and not an accident of geography.
3. Remove funding double-standard: Implementation of THP-Plus has been limited because it requires a 60% county match. It is the only state housing program with such a requirement, which has resulted in less than 5% of the eligible homeless former foster youth participating in the program. SB 1576 will remove this extra burden placed our state's most vulnerable youth by increasing the state's share of funding to 100%.
4. Reduced ratio will bring services to bond-financed housing: If approved by the California voters in November, $50 million in capital financing will be available to construct affordable housing for emancipated foster youth. However, this housing will have no supportive services associated with it. By changing the funding ratio, THP-Plus will be expanded and thereby provide critically needed services to youth.

Through your inclusion of emancipated foster youth in the housing bond, you have demonstrated a strong commitment to California's former foster youth. I urge you to continue this commitment by supporting SB 1576.

Sincerely,

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