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County Judge Lina Hidalgo Breaks Ground on First-of-its-Kind Center Housing Youth Aging out of Foster Care

June 16, 2023,

Judge Hidalgo today welcomed local, state, and federal leaders Friday to celebrate the groundbreaking for Harris County’s HAY Center for youth transitioning out of foster care. Once completed, the HAY Center will feature 50 apartments, and include wraparound services including counseling, life skills classes, and other resources.

“This isn’t just an investment in a physical structure,” said Judge Lina Hidalgo. “It’s an investment in some of the most vulnerable young people in Harris County—making sure they get a fair shot at leading a healthy, successful, productive adult life.”

Without traditional family support and community connections, many youth will face unstable housing and have a greater risk of homelessness.

Every year in the Houston area, more than 200 youth exit the foster care system when they reach adulthood or graduate high school. According to the National Library of Medicine, nationwide, 20% of kids who age out of foster care become instantly homeless. Even further, about 70% of youth who exit foster care as legal adults are arrested at least once by age 26 (Center for Economic Policy Research, 2022).

About the HAY Center

HAY Center campus, which will be located at 3131 Gulf Freeway, Houston 77003, will provide a permanent wrap-around services building that can serve more than 1,300 foster youth and youth formerly in foster care plus a residential building that will house 50 foster youth transitioning to independent living. A 41,000 square foot residential building will include 50 apartment units with a full kitchen, washer and dryer, in addition to community space, gym, business center and private study rooms.

Five of the apartment units will be designated for single parenting youth formerly in foster care. A 17,000 square foot building will include office space for 27 Harris County employees to provide onsite services, in addition to a welcome area, a computer lab, training and meeting rooms. The HAY Center construction is expected to be completed in 4th quarter 2024. 

HAY Center Campus Project has been funded $39M in total from both public and private sources:

  • Harris County contributed $29M in total:
    • $20M through CDBG Harvey Round 2 funding; and
    • $9M in ARPA funding.
  • The City of Houston contributed $5M in funding.
  • The HAY Center Foundation—developed in 2015 to provide advocacy and fundraising for the program—contributed $5M in funding from various philanthropic donations.

Photos, courtesy of Mayor Turner's office, can be found here.

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