Follow-Up Letter to the Leadership Team of HUD

Assistant Secretary Ben Hobbs, 

Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with us while we were in Washington D.C. 

Here is a link to more photos of our time together: 

• 2026 meeting with HUD

HUD’s dedication to our population was exemplified in that our meeting was initially with four staff members, but we ended up connecting with twelve. And that you and your team listened to and elevated Alexys Madero’s suggestion. Thank you with all of my heart. 

Upon our return home to Ohio, we met with Director Kara Wente of the Department of Children and Youth. We shared out about our time in DC, and she and her team offered support to us in reaching our goals on a statewide level. 

We would love to stay in touch with your team to continue to support FYI voucher access. It will be wonderful and helpful to have FYI information available on the HCV dashboard again, and we can provide an example of what we meant in terms of a What to Say When to address misinformation about FYI vouchers.

Please know that you have our heartfelt appreciation, utmost dedication and ongoing support. 

His gracious reply was as follows:

"Thanks again for coming in and supporting such a wide-raging conversation and dialogue. The feedback ACTION Ohio provides is very valuable for our team and we see you as integral partners for all our FYI efforts. The program would not be what it is today without your support and engagement. Thanks for the continuous flow of new ideas as well and helpfulness on all our joint events. Please never hesitate to reach out and let’s keep driving forward for better outcomes and life transformations for our foster youth."