Meetings and Events

January

Our Next Meeting & Agenda – January 26, 2009 - click here for info (PDF)

Attention:

The Otto Bremer Emergency Fund -- click here for information (PDF)

New from the National Center for House and Child Welfare

News from Children and Family Futures

Information provided by the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare. For more information, visit their website at www.nchcw.org. HUD invites communities to apply for $20 Million in New Housing Voucher for Child Welfare Families and

Aging-out Youth
On November 24, 2008, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued the 2008 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) inviting public housing authorities nationwide to apply for a portion of $20 million in new Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers the Family Unification Program (FUP). FUP provides homeless and poorly housed families involved with the child welfare system with decent and affordable housing and supportive services in order to safely reunite them with their children. FUP vouchers are also available to prevent homelessness among former foster youth. These vital resources are available thanks to the hard work of Senators Murray and Bond and the staff at HUD!

How does our community apply for new FUP vouchers?

You can access the NOFA on the Federal Register’s website by clicking here or HUD’s website by clicking here or you can access the NOFA directly by visiting our website at www.nchcw.org. The NCHCW website also includes examples of supporting documentation you will need to submit with your application. In order to apply for this funding, a PHA must have a signed memorandum of understanding with the public child welfare agency (PCWA) documenting that these systems will work in partnership to support FUP families and youth. PHA directors interested in FUP should contact their counterpart at the public child welfare agency soon. Once HUD issues the NOFA, PHAs will until Jan. 28th 2009 to submit an application.

Why should we apply for FUP?

Families and aging-out youth in the child welfare system face many economic challenges. Child welfare agencies work to remediate these issues and as a result, the majority of children reunite safely and successfully with their parents. However, nearly a third of the 500,000 children in the foster care system remain separated from their parents because the family lacks safe, decent housing. Keeping these children in foster care rather than providing affordable housing is a costly practice. On average, it costs nearly $48,000 per family for children to enter foster care. By contrast, it costs just over $15,000 annually to house one family and provide supportive services to support their stability in housing.

How does FUP work?

HUD’s Family Unification Program (FUP) is administered through local level partnerships between public housing authorities and public child welfare agencies. PHAs administer FUP Section 8 vouchers to families and youth who have been certified as eligible for FUP by the public child welfare agency (PCWA). The child welfare agency assists clients in gathering the necessary Section 8 paperwork and provides services to help the household obtain and maintain safe, stable and permanent housing.

How can I get more information about FUP?

For more information about how to apply for and implement FUP your community, please visit www.nchcw.org. NCHCW serves as a bridge between affordable housing resources and the child welfare system on behalf of vulnerable families and youth and professional staff and advocates with whom they work. We build PHA-PCWA partnerships in order to ensure that children do not enter or linger needlessly in foster care due to affordable housing problems. NCHCW aims to ensure that each young person who ages out of the foster care system has a solid plan for housing stability. NCHCW worked with Congress to secure this $20 million in new funding for the Family Unification Program and continues to advocate for investments in this important program.

For more information about the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare:
Phone 301-699-0151 or Toll Free 1-866-790-6766
Email: info@nchcw.org
Website: www.nchcw.org