1. Housing Solutions for At-Risk Youth
Ruth White,
National Center for Housing and Child Welfare

2. NCHCW links housing and child welfare resources to improve family functioning, prevent family homelessness, safely reduce the need for out-of- home placement, and ensure that each young person who ages out foster care is able to access safe, decent, permanent housing.

3. Related Legislative Victories
Fostering Connections to Success Act: Allows states to draw down federal match for independent housing and services for youth age 18-21
HOTMA: Extends FUP vouchers for youth from months; allows project-basing.
FSS-FUP Youth Pilot: program through approps language in 2015 – HUD rolled this out this summer. Allows youth to opt in to the FSS Program, thus extending voucher eligibility to five years.

4. Recommended sequencing of housing resources for at-risk youth
FUP & FSS Pilot
Age
Independent Living
Title IV-E
Family Foster Care/Residential
Unaccompanied/
Homeless youth
FUP for youth (18 mo.)
Regular Sec. 8
LIHTC
Other subsidy
Perm Supp Hsg
Roommate
Private Housing/LL
Title IV-E can be used to subsidize rent.

5. Problematic layering of housing and services for at-risk youth.
FUP & FSS Pilot
Age
Independent Living
Title IV-E
Family Foster Care/Residential
Unaccompanied/
Homeless
youth
FUP for youth (36 mos.)
Regular Sec. 8
LIHTC
Other Subsidy
Perm Supp Hsg
Roommate
Private Housing/LL
Title IV-E can be used to subsidize rent.

6. State and Local Examples of Serving Child Welfare Families and Youth with Various and Creative Mix of Housing Funds

7. City of Las Vegas: setting local Section 8 priorities.
The Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority partnered with DSS (outside of FUP) and created a local priority code for up to 50 vouchers for homeless and former foster youth. Vouchers are not time- limited. They are coupled with services funded through child welfare.

8. Social Services – CHDO Partnership
Talbot County DSS on the Easter Shore of Maryland recently partnered with a Community Development Housing Organization (CHDO) to purchase a 4 unit building in need of renovation.
Main Street Housing purchased the property.
DSS contributed $60,000 in rehab funding.
The rent is paid by a combination of DSS funding (Title IV-E) and the department of mental health
Youth receive stipends but also make a contribution towards the rent which will be placed in escrow.

9. Colorado State: Using IDAs to support youth success
The Colorado Family Unification Program (FUP) focuses on serving former foster care youth experiencing homelessness. The Colorado Department of Human Services received 100 FUP vouchers.
Partnered with Mile High United Way to beef up case management. Through this partnership, youth have access to job training and IDAs.

10. New Jersey Example
Homeownership for Adopting Families NJHMFA's award-winning Home Ownership for Permanency Program provides home ownership mortgage loans to families that are newly adopting or making a permanent commitment through kinship legal guardianship for a child through the Department of Human Services, Division of Youth and Family Services, or a state-licensed adoption agency.
NJHMFA also creating the financing for affordable housing units for former foster youth with disabilities.

11. Florida Example: Using the HOME Program
The Home Investment Partnership Program is a federal block grant that provides states with a flexible affordable housing funding stream.
Florida has also made use of LIHTC for youth.
Jeb Bush, when Governor, set aside 5% of HOME funds to subsidize rent for youth leaving foster care.

12. New York City Example: Coupling Section 8 eligibility and the LIHTC
NYCHA and ACS have been at the forefront of creating local priority codes for FUP eligible households and then using that status to leverage private dollars and developers in order to free up units for youth leaving foster care.
NYCHA also has a priority code for public housing for youth leaving foster care. This served the purpose of providing more options for youth – but also creating a market for zero bedroom units .

13. What types of services may youth receive?
This depends heavily upon the state – however, each state has access to Chafee IL funds, also youth leaving care are eligible to remain on Medicaid until age 26.
If a state has opted to increase foster care to age 21, then youth may receive a number of enhanced services such as:
Free in state tuition
Education and Training Vouchers
Transportation assistance
Stipends
Tutoring
Job training/Job coaching/Mentoring
Counseling

14. Contact Information
Ruth White, Executive Director National Center for Housing and Child Welfare 4707 Calvert Rd College Park, MD (202)