More than one in three young adults exiting Colorado’s foster care system end up homeless within three years.

Lawmakers are trying to change that with the passage of Senate Bill 82. If signed into law, the bill would create a housing voucher and case management program for foster youth, providing housing security for around 100 people.

The program would offer $1.09 million in housing vouchers and $1.44 million in case management services annually to 18- to 26-year-old Coloradans who are homeless or at risk of being homeless, and who were formerly involved in the foster care system. Voucher recipients would contribute to paying for their housing, but not more than 30% of the total costs.

“Our foster kids are failing in Colorado,” said bill sponsor Rep. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder. “They’re not graduating from high school, they’re not going to college, they have substance use disorder, they have mental health disorders. They need help. And that’s what this bill is about.” 

Nationally, an estimated 50% of homeless young adults were once in the foster care system. After aging out of the system at 18, approximately 25% are involved in the criminal justice system within two years, 50% are unemployed by the age of 24 and, of women, 71% are pregnant by the age of 21, according to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

SB 82 passed the House in a 48-17 vote Wednesday, following the Senate’s 32-3 approval earlier this month. Though the bill had bipartisan support, only Republicans voted against the bill in both chambers. 

In the House, Republicans introduced five failed amendments, unsuccessfully trying to limit the housing voucher and case management program. The amendments tried to require voucher recipients to be employed, to pass random drug tests, to be younger than 24, and to only get the voucher for two years. 

“Colorado needs to grow up,” said Rep. Richard Holtorf, R-Akron, who voted against the bill. “It’s time to grow up and be an adult. And that includes the foster kids. … Young people need to know, in this life and this country, you need to get after it. You need to go along and figure it out.” 

In the Senate, opponents questioned spending money on starting a new program to support homeless youth, arguing that the state should simply invest more in existing programs.

Colorado currently uses two federally funded housing voucher programs, but the bill sponsors said the existing programs are geared towards adults and have very limited access, with months- to years-long wait lists. They also do not include the case management services included in SB 82. 

Proponents of the bill also urged opponents to consider that young adults who grew up in the foster system often do not have access to the information and resources that other people get from their parents. Bill sponsor Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, spoke of supporting her son when he almost got evicted from his apartment at 20 years old, after being hit by a car and being unable to work due to his injuries. 

“Not every kid has what they need to make it,” Michaelson Jenet said. “I can’t so quickly dismiss kids who have had the worst of life. … So, how would we help our children struggling on the brink of homelessness? Senate Bill 82 is the answer to that question.” 

The bill will next be sent to Gov. Jared Polis for final consideration. If approved, it will take effect immediately with his signature.