U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib wants to give rent money to young adults and youth experiencing homelessness.
The Detroit Congresswoman has reintroduced her Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act, which calls for direct cash payments to adults under 30 and emancipated minors experiencing homelessness.
The payments would be $1,400, or the adjusted fair market rent, per month for up to three years.
“Now, more than ever, we need federal programs that address the growing housing crisis,” U.S. Rep. Tlaib said in a statement. “Youth homelessness is at an all-time high while the Trump Administration is slashing federal support and gutting the Department of Housing and Urban Development. By providing direct cash assistance, we can address our housing crisis with the urgency this moment demands.”
Tlaib said the bill was inspired by talking to youth.
“This bill came directly from young people with lived experience who helped craft the bill to ensure that it meets the real needs of our unhoused neighbors,” she continued. “In the richest country in the history of the world, it’s time to eradicate homelessness. The Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act brings us closer to that goal.”
The legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Hank Johnson Jr. (GA-04), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12). It is also endorsed by organizations including Detroit’s Ruth Ellis Center and the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness, among others.
According to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, more than 3.5 million young adults and about 700,000 young people experience homelessness each year. The risk is 83% higher for Black young adults and youth and 120% more for LGBTQ+ youth.
The number of unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness increased 10% from 2023-2024 — an all-time high, Tlaib’s office says.
While studies have found that providing cash assistance has saved money by reducing strains on housing shelter systems, Tlaib’s office says more analysis is needed. The legislation also calls for a study of the effects of the program.
“It is time to demonstrate the benefits of direct cash assistance for young people experiencing homelessness, which is why the Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act is needed,” Tlaib’s office says. “More importantly, participants in past cash assistance programs have described the impact as life changing. Cash assistance provides individuals with the freedom to make their own choices about how to address their unique circumstances.”
The full text of the bill is available below.
