Housing Solutions for Young People Leaving Foster Care

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Housing Solutions for Young People Leaving Foster
Care

• National Center for Housing and
• Child Welfare

2009 National Pathways to Adulthood Conference
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About NCHCW

• NCHCW is non-profit dedicated to linking housing
  resources and knowledge to child welfare systems
  to ensure that
• children no longer linger needlessly in foster
  care as a consequence of family homelessness
• young people aging out of foster care system have
  solid plans for housing and services to help them
  transition to adulthood

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Pop Quiz

• According to 2008 Census Bureau figures, how many
  people between 18 to 34 live at home with their
  parents
• A. 5 million
• B. 20 million
• C. 15 million
• D. None of the above

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CORRECT ANSWER

• 20 million people
• (30 of the 18-34 age group)

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Former Foster Youth are Becoming Homeless
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YOUNG PEOPLE NEED
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Youth Housing Options

• Transitional Housing
• Group Homes
• Shared Homes
• Host Homes
• Supervised Apartments
• Scattered Site Apartments
• Permanent Housing
• Permanent Supportive
• Housing
• Individual Apartments
• Emergency Housing
• Shelters

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Transitional Housing
Base housing option on needs of youth
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Permanent Housing/Emergency Needs
Base housing option on needs of youth
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Dont Do This..
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Strategies to Access Housing Resources for Youth
Aging Out of Care
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Strategy 1 Tap into Federal Housing Resources
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Family Unification Program (FUP) Vouchers

• Provides Housing Choice Vouchers to communities
  to
• Prevent placement of children into care and
  reunify families
• Provide temporary rent assistance (up to 18
  months) for youth aging out of care
• Requires a MOU between child welfare agency and
  public housing authority
• 20 million will be awarded this year

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Strategy 1 Tap into Federal Housing Resources
continued
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Homelessness Prevention Rapid Re-housing (HPRP)

• 1.5 billion allocated on formula basis not a
  competition
• 60 percent of funds must be spent within two
  years, 100 percent within three
• Funding should be available September at the
  latest
• Contact your ESG coordinator for more information

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Strategy 2 Access Child Welfare Funding
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Fostering Connections to Success Act

• States, at their option, can extend support to
  youth in foster care until age 19, 20 or 21
  potential avoiding homelessness upon discharge.

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Strategy 3 Access Community Development
Resources

• Flexible funding for individuals with low and
  moderate incomes
• Most relevant activity for youth is Public
  Services and Public Improvements and Facilities
• Used to find the purchase, construction, or
  rehabilitation of youth facilities

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG)
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Strategy 4 Establish Public-Private Partnerships
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Strategy 5 Create Cross-System Dialogue
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Final Thoughts..
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Last Chance for a Prize


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Answer is


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Contact Information

• Roxana Torrico, MSW
• Senior Consultant, National Center for Housing
  Child Welfare
• 703-606-7106
• roxana_torrico_at_yahoo.com
• For more information
• National Center for Housing Child Welfare
• www.nchcw.org