Improving Housing Options for Youth in Transition

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Improving Housing Options for Youth in Transition

• Roxana Torrico, MSW
• Child Welfare League of America
• NGA Policy Academy on Youth Transitioning Out of
  Foster Care

• A house is a home, when it shelters the body and
  comforts the soul.
• -Phillip Moffitt (1986)

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Former Foster Youth are Becoming Homeless

• As many as three in ten homeless adults were
  formerly children in foster care
• Between 12 36 of former foster care youth are
  experiencing homelessness. .
• Homeless parents who spent time in foster care as
  children are 2xs as likely to have their own
  children placed in foster care.

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What are young people aging out of foster care
facing??

• Limited life skills upon discharge from Child
  Welfare system
• Child welfare agencies with limited housing
  expertise and resources necessary to assist youth
• Limited support networks
• Harsh economic realities
• Expensive housing costs!!!!

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Most Expensive Places for Youth to Live on their
Own

• Hourly wage necessary to afford a one-bedroom
  apartment
• District of Columbia 20.77
• Hawaii 18.57
• California 18.11
• Massachusetts 18.32
• Hours that a youth would have to work at minimum
  wage to afford a one bedroom
• District of Columbia 126
• Hawaii 119
• California 107
• Massachusetts 109
• Out of Reach 2003, NLIHC

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SO HOW MUCH DOES A YOUTH HAVE TO EARN TO LIVE IN
YOUR STATE?

• Hourly wage necessary to afford a one-bedroom
  apt
• California 18.11
• Illinois 13.41
• Florida 13.21
• Michigan 11.52
• Minnesota 11.94
• South Carolina 9.99
• Hours that a youth would have to work at minimum
  wage to afford a one bedroom apt
• California 107
• Illinois 83
• Florida 86
• Michigan 89
• Minnesota 78
• South Carolina 78

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What is the Solution to Prevent Youth
Homelessness??

• Solid Collaboration with Public Housing
• Authorities, Child Welfare Agencies,
• community based agencies, housing
• officials, business leaders, developers,
• advocates and YOUTH!

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What Can Be Done at State Level to Address
Housing Issues?

• Housing Must Be a Significant Component of Youth
  States Independent Living Curricula
• Ensure that Your Child Welfare System Builds a
  Continuum of Housing Resources
• Provide Youth with Opportunities to Practice
  Living on their Own
• Build Statewide Partnerships to Create a Range of
  Affordable Housing Opportunities
• Tap into New and Unusual Streams of Funding

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All transitioning and former foster youth have
the right to safe, stable and affordable
housing!!!

• Utilize Chafee Funds
• Give Youth Opportunities To Practice Living on
  Their Own
• Create an Solid, Effective Discharge Plan start
  the housing discussion early!!!
• Build partnerships with housing authorities
• Form collaborations in your community create
  cross system dialogue in your community!

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Funding Resources for Youth Housing

• Chafee Funding
• Family Unification Program (FUP)
• HOME funds
• HUD (a variety of options)
• TANF
• Welfare to Work funds
• Combination of Private Public funds

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What is Chafee?

• Congress created the John H. Chafee Foster Care
  Independence Program, with increased supports and
  services for youth aging out of foster care
  including HOUSING!

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Chafee Housing

• States have the option of providing room board
  to youth (aged 18-21) exiting care.
• Chafee increases state accountability for
  outcomes for young people exiting care.

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Highlights from a CWLA Survey of IL Coordinators

• According to a CWLA survey of 38 IL Coordinators
• 11 states report using 30 of their Chafee funds
  for room board services
• 2 states reported using 0 (these states use
  other funding for room board services
• 26 states reported using only Chafee funds for
  youth age 18 and over
• 24 states indicated 30 of Chafee funds was
  sufficient to meet the needs of youth aging out
• 22 states indicated the use of FUP or priority
• Section 8
• 23 states reported that state or county child
  welfare agencies are partnering with public
  housing authorities to serve youth (i.e, Standard
  Section 8, public housing slots, etc.)

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How Are States Using their Chafee ?

• Case management services
• First months rent, security deposits
• Emergency rental assistance
• Time-limited rental subsidies
• Furniture and household needs

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What is the Family Unification Program (FUP)?

• The Family Unification program is
• A housing program for youth and families in the
  child welfare system.
• A collaboration between housing authorities and
  child welfare agencies.
• A time limited program that provides section 8
  vouchers to youth ages 18-21 who have aged out of
  the foster care system at age 16 or older. Child
  welfare agencies will provide 18 months of
  aftercare services for youth when they enter
  housing.

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Benefits of CW PHA Collaborations

• For Public Housing Authorities (PHAs)
• Increased ability to serve clientele
• For Child Welfare Agencies (CWAs)
• Expanded Access to housing solutions for youth
  aging out of foster care and their caseworkers
• For Youth Safe, stable affordable housing
  stability upon discharge from FC
• For the Community Most cost-effective
  beneficial to society

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Elements of an Effective Partnership

• Liaisons are appointed
• Reliable Communication learn each others
  language
• Hold Regular Meetings
• Cross-Training
• Staff Support
• Additional Partners are invited
• Additional Funding is sought
• Feedback is solicited from program participants

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What is FUPs current status?

• CWLA and other national organizations continue to
  advocate for the release of more FUP vouchers.
  Unfortunately, vouchers have not been rewarded
  since 2001. However, communities have continued
  to develop local partnerships between CWAs PHAs
  to serve youth aging out of care.

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States Using FUP model/Priority Section 8 for
youth

• Some examples of states serving youth with these
  models
• Colorado
• New York
• California
• Indiana
• Ohio

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The HOME Program

• Home Investments Partnership (HOME) is the
  largest federal program available exclusively to
  create new affordable housing.

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The HOME Program

• The HOME program is more flexible than previous
  federal housing programs, as it gives more
  control authority over federal housing funding
  to state and local housing officials allowing for
  more creativity and flexibility.
• Decisions about how HOME funds are used are left
  to state and local government officials.

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The HOME Program

• HOME funds can be used to
• Build, buy, and renovate rental housing
• Finance homeownership opportunities
• Repair homes, including making building
  physically accessible or
• Provide rental subsidies to eligible households.

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Distribution of HOME funds

• HUD distributes HOME funds every year to all 50
  states and to more than 500 eligible localities
  (HOME participating jurisdictions).
• Communities that do not receive HOME funds
  directly from HUD can obtain HOME funding through
  the states HOME program.

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The HOME Program

• Tenant based rental assistance can be used to
  assist youth during their transition out of the
  foster care system.
• Tenants pay a portion of their income for rent
  (generally 30 of adjusted gross income) and HOME
  funds pay the difference.
• The rental assistance is time-limited, but can be
  renewed if additional HOME funds are available.
• Examples of States using HOME funds for youth
  aging out Florida, California

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State Housing Agencies

• States Housing Agencies administer a number of
  housing funding streams, including HOME
  Low-income Housing Tax Credits
• For more information about State Housing
  Agencies, go to www.ncsha.org

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HUD - More Resources to House and Support Youth

• Special Needs vouchers
• Housing Choice vouchers set aside (permanent
  housing)
• Project-based vouchers
• Shelter Care (permanent housing)
• Supportive Housing Program

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Promising Programs

• Lighthouse Youth Services (Cincinnati, OH)
• Housing Continuum
• Orangewood Rising Tide Community-
• State Multifamily Housing Program
• San Diego and Butte Counties (CHECK!!) HOME Funds
• Illinois Dept of Children Families
• Youth Housing Program
• NJ Shared.

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Promising Program in California

• LaVerne Adolfo Housing Programs for Former Foster
  Youth in Sacramento, California
• Transitional housing - HOME and Private funding
  for development of the program. Chafee and
  Welfare to Work funds for program operations.
• Permanent housing- HUD supportive housing
  program, Welfare to Work, Shelter Care, Housing
  Choice vouchers for development of the programs
  and HUD Supportive Housing and Welfare to Work
  for program operations.

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Building a Partnership in Your Community

• Understand mission limitations of the partner
  agencies
• Create youth housing continuum
• Write a detailed Memorandum of Understanding

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Mix Public and Private Funds to Support Housing
Programs

• Be creative!
• Think outside the box!
• Meet with members from every discipline within
  the community and analyze possible funding
  streams
• Pull from and blend HUD resources, state
  resources, Chafee funds, Welfare to Work funds,
  funds from foundations, charities, trusts,
  auctions, etc.

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Benefits of Partnerships Collaborations
Cross System Dialogue ? More Effective
Communication ? Improved Services for Young
People ? Decreased Homelessness for Emancipated
Youth
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Using Your Voice to Change Minds...Change lives!

• Advocating for youth exiting the child welfare
  system is an integral part of preventing
  homelessness!