A Game-Changer For Foster Youth In Higher Education

Written by Thomas Lee, CEO at First Place for Youth

For many young adults, attending community college is a stepping stone to a brighter future. But for foster youth, the path to higher education is often fraught with challenges, particularly the lack of stable housing. Unlike four-year universities, community colleges rarely offer campus housing, leaving students who lack family support to navigate housing insecurity on their own. This issue disproportionately affects foster youth (ages 18-21), who are more likely than their peers to attend community colleges due to financial constraints and accessibility.

Fortunately, our groundbreaking partnership in Pasadena, CA is addressing this critical gap and providing a model for other communities to follow.

The Problem: Housing Insecurity and Foster Youth

Stable housing is a cornerstone of academic success. Our foster youth need a safe, stable place to lay their head nightly so they can focus on school and future careers. Without it, students face immense difficulties in focusing on their studies, maintaining mental health, and achieving long-term goals. For transition-age foster youth—those aging out of the foster care system—this challenge is even more acute. Many lack the familial safety nets that other students rely on and are left juggling housing instability alongside the demands of school, work, and an unforgiving economy.

Community colleges, which serve as an accessible, first stop, entry point to higher education for many foster youth, typically do not provide on-campus housing. This structural gap leaves foster youth particularly vulnerable to homelessness or precarious living situations. The result? Many talented and motivated young people are forced to abandon their educational aspirations simply because they lack a safe place to live.

An Innovative Solution in Pasadena

A new partnership in Pasadena, CA is tackling this issue head-on by combining resources from multiple sectors to create a holistic support system for foster youth attending Pasadena City College (PCC). This collaboration between PCC, Heritage Housing Partners, Pasadena Community Foundation, and First Place for Youth offers a unique solution: dedicated affordable housing units paired with comprehensive support services.

At the heart of this initiative are studio apartments, provided by Heritage Housing Partners exclusively for foster youth enrolled at PCC. These units give students a stable home base where they can focus on their studies without the constant stress of finding shelter. But housing alone isn’t enough. Recognizing this, the partnership also includes wraparound services such as academic tutoring, career guidance, life skills training, and mental health resources. Together, these elements create an environment where foster youth can thrive academically and personally.

Why Partnerships Matter

What makes this initiative so impactful is its collaborative nature. Each partner brings its own expertise: Pasadena City College offers educational opportunities and five years of rental subsidy for all the units; Heritage Housing Partners are experts in building affordable housing solutions; Pasadena Community Foundation provided catalytic funding and furnished the units; and First Place for Youth delivers comprehensive support in the areas of life skills, career exploration, and independent living. By pooling resources and aligning their missions, these organizations have created a program that addresses not just one aspect of foster youth’s needs but the full spectrum—from housing to education to emotional well-being.

We all have a role to play in reducing poverty and the potential for homelessness among all foster youth. This type of cross-sector collaboration is essential for tackling complex social issues like housing insecurity among foster youth. No single organization can solve such challenges alone. But when schools, housing providers, nonprofits, and community foundations work together, they can create innovative solutions that have far-reaching impacts.

A Model for Nationwide Change

The Pasadena partnership serves as more than just a local success story—it’s a blueprint for other communities across the country. Community colleges exist in nearly every city and town in America, as do affordable housing organizations and nonprofits dedicated to supporting young people. By replicating this model of collaboration, communities nationwide could dramatically increase access to higher education for foster youth. Such partnerships could be life-changing for thousands of young people who might otherwise fall through the cracks. With stable housing and robust support systems in place, foster youth can focus on building successful futures rather than merely surviving day-to-day.

A Call to Action

The innovative program in Pasadena highlights what’s possible when organizations unite around a shared vision: empowering foster youth to overcome barriers and achieve their potential through education. As we celebrate this milestone, it’s crucial for leaders in education, housing, and social services across the country to consider how they can replicate similar models in their own communities.

Foster youth deserve more than just access to education—they deserve the stability and support needed to succeed once they get there. By investing in partnerships like the one in Pasadena, we can ensure that no young person has to choose between pursuing an education and having a place to call home. This is not just an opportunity; it’s an imperative for creating a more equitable future.

This is a content marketing post from a Forbes EQ participant. Forbes brand contributors’ opinions are their own.