Durbin, Collins Call On HHS to Reverse Changes To Runaway And Homeless Youth Act Grant Program
Recent changes and a shortened application window for RHYA grant programs have made it more difficult for organizations to apply
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) today sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. urging him to take action to ensure Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) grant programs remain accessible and effective. Two weeks ago, HHS released the Fiscal Year 2025 RHYA applications, which included significant changes, such as the elimination of the Street Outreach Program as a standalone program and a requirement that organizations must sign a memorandum of understanding with local law enforcement agencies. HHS also moved to shorten the application period from 60 days to 19 days. As a result, organizations that typically receive RHYA funding have expressed concerns that they will not have the time or resources to compile and submit a RHYA grant application before the deadline.
“We understand that the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 applications for the RHYA grant programs two weeks ago. The applications included a number of significant changes and new requirements, including the elimination of the Street Outreach Program as a standalone program and a requirement that organizations must sign a memorandum of understanding with local law enforcement agencies. These changes require significant time to review, identify partnerships, and ensure legal compliance. However, amid these significant changes, HHS has reduced the application period from 60 days to 19 days,” the Senators wrote.
“We are concerned that organizations that typically receive RHYA funding now will be unable to adjust to these new requirements before the application deadline. This could result in a loss of critical federal funding and service disruptions for youth and young adults who are experiencing homelessness,” the Senators continued their letter.
“We strongly urge HHS to act to ensure these programs remain accessible and effective by extending the RHYA application deadline to at least 30 days, restoring the Street Outreach Program as a standalone program, and ensuring that any other mandates are consistent with the scope of RHYA’s core mission: to support our nation’s homeless youth and young adults,” the Senators concluded their letter.
Durbin and Collins introduced the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act last month to reauthorize key federal grant programs to provide states with funding to help thousands of homeless young people nationwide. The legislation builds upon and funds programs established in the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, including the Basic Center Program that provides short-term crisis housing, food, and clothing to children in need. RHYA also includes the Transitional Living Program, which offers longer-term housing and services like employment, education, and mental health support, and the Street Outreach Program, which provides education, treatment, counseling, and referrals for youth on the streets. In total, programs stemming from RHYA have helped to support the more than four million youth and young adults across the nation who are experiencing homelessness.
Full text of today’s letter is available here and below:
July 24, 2025
Secretary Kennedy:
We are writing to express our concerns about recent changes to the application for Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) grant programs.
In 1974, Congress enacted the RHYA to address youth and young adult homelessness across our nation. It includes essential programs such as the Basic Center Program, which provides short-term crisis housing and goods and services, including food and clothing. It also helps to reunite children under the age of 18 with their families when it is safe and appropriate. The Transitional Living Program provides longer-term housing and services, such as employment, education, and mental health services, and the Street Outreach Program funds outreach to help prevent sexual exploitation and human trafficking. These are important programs that have helped to support the more than four million youth and young adults across our nation who are experiencing homelessness.
We understand that the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 applications for the RHYA grant programs two weeks ago. The applications included a number of significant changes and new requirements, including the elimination of the Street Outreach Program as a standalone program and a requirement that organizations must sign a memorandum of understanding with local law enforcement agencies. These changes require significant time to review, identify partnerships, and ensure legal compliance. However, amid these significant changes, HHS has reduced the application period from 60 days to 19 days.
We are concerned that organizations that typically receive RHYA funding now will be unable to adjust to these new requirements before the application deadline. This could result in a loss of critical federal funding and service disruptions for youth and young adults who are experiencing homelessness. In fact, we have heard from organizations that already have opted not to apply for grant renewals because some of the changes in the FY 2025 applications cannot be addressed within this significantly shortened application period.
We reintroduced the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act (S. 2012) to modernize and increase the authorization levels for the RHYA programs because the current programs are unable to fully meet the needs of youth and young adults experiencing homelessness across our nation. We strongly urge HHS to act to ensure these programs remain accessible and effective by extending the RHYA application deadline to at least 30 days, restoring the Street Outreach Program as a standalone program, and ensuring that any other mandates are consistent with the scope of RHYA’s core mission: to support our nation’s homeless youth and young adults.
Sincerely,
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