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Commissioner Susan Hamilton, State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families addressess the NCHCW - CWLA Housing Solutions for Child Welfare Families and Youth Institute
January, 24, 2010 - Washington, DC - Connecticut Child Welfare Commissioner Hamilton shared heartfelt remarks with the attendees at the 2010 Housing Institute about her commitment to addressing the enormous economic challenges faced by child welfare families and youth. Commissioner Hamilton's leadership in ensuring that child welfare professionals in Connecticut have what they need to remediate these issues and reunite children safely and successfully with their parents - particularly through housing interventions - is a model for the country. 
The Commissioner was joined by State Child Welfare Bureau Chief, Stacey Gerber and a team staff from the Connection, Inc.  Bureau Chief Gerber has worked over the years closely to ensure improvement and expansion of the State's Family Unification program.  Largely due to her support, the program has reunited nearly 4,000 children by providing families with housing and support.
At this January 24, 2010 Institute, participants gained an understanding of the pivotal role housing can play in family preservation efforts, reunification and successful transition to adulthood among aging out youth. Thanks to the generous contributions of time and expertise of our partners at the Connection, Inc., the National Alliance to End Homelessness, DePaul University, Lighthouse Youth Services the event was a great success. 
For a copy of the Institute presentations, please click on the corresponding presentors name.
 
Housing Interventions to Prevent Poverty-Related Neglect
Ruth White Executive Director, National Center for Housing and Child Welfare
                       
Housing Resources for Child Welfare Families and Youth
LaKesha Pope, Program and Policy Analyst, National Alliance to End Homelessness
Supportive Housing for Families: How to Create and Run a Successful Family Unification Program
Stacey Gerber, Bureau Chief of Child Welfare, State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families
Betsy Cronin, Program Director, The Connection, Inc. SHF Program
Chelsea Humphrey, Agency Representative, The Connection Inc., SHF Program
Helen R. Lavin, Program Manager, The Connection, Inc. SHF Program 
 
A Continuum of Housing Options for Youth Leaving Foster Care
Patrick Fowler, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Illinois
Mark Kroner, LISW, Director, Lighthouse Training Institute, Cincinnati, OH
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES WHO SUBMITTED NEW FAMILY UNIFICATION PROGRAM (FUP) APPLICATIONS IN 2009 
As many of you know, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced in September $14.6 million in grants to help local housing authorities across the country reunite thousands of children with their parents. The children are either in foster care orthere is a threat of being placed in the foster care system. Local housing authorities were invited to apply along with their local public child welfare agency.  Applications were due December 3, 2009.  NCHCW wishes all communities the best of luck for a successful application!
To read the full text of the funding notice announced September 30, click here.    
 
In September, HUD also announced 11 communities that were successful applicants for funding from the last round of applications.  That list is below:
PHAs Awarded FUP Funds in September 2009:
 
State
Public Housing Authority
Funding Amount
Vouchers
California
Housing Authority of the County of Stanislaus
$511,068
100
Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara
$241,947
25
Housing Authority of the City of Alameda
$555,588
50
Housing Authority of the County of Kern
$493,128
100
Sonoma County Community Development Commission
$383,880
50
Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara
$1,287,864
100
Delaware
Delaware State Housing Authority
$282,198
50
Florida
Lee County Housing Authority
$136,623
25
Illinois
DuPage Housing Authority
$737,776
79
Massachusetts
Lynn Housing Authority & Neighborhood Development
$487,284
50
Washington
Housing Authority of the City of Vancouver
$275,256
50
TOTAL
$5,392,612
679
 
 
Washington State housing authorities to receive more than $1.2 million in housing aid for families who are at high risk of losing their children.
 
To keep children safe with their families and out of foster care and ease the transition to adulthood for older foster youth, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is providing $20 million nationally to fund its Family Unification Program (FUP), which provides Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) rental assistance to reunite families for whom a lack of decent housing is a primary cause of parents being separated from their children. A portion of these vouchers will also be used to provide stable housing for young adults who have “aged out” of the foster care system.
 
The King County Housing Authority will receive $814,380 and the Tacoma Housing Authority will receive $370,938. The local housing authorities are partnering with the Washington State Department of Social and Human Services and local service providers to address the needs of 150 families and older foster youth.
Immediately following the press conference, NCHCW convened a statewide housing-child welfare partnership forum.  NCHCW is enormously grateful to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Casey Family Programs for underwriting the costs of this event.
 
NCHCW Featured in National Low Income Housing Coalition Advocate’s Guide
Each year, the National Low Income Housing Coalition publishes the “Advocates Guide”  to affordable housing resources and policies. This year’s edition includes a feature article on the Family Unification Program by NCHCW Executive Director Ruth White. Click here for to view the article.  To access the entire guide online, click here.
About NCHCW Website
The National Center for Housing and Child Welfare (NCHCW) is dedicated to building the partnerships necessary to ensure that children do not enter or linger needlessly in foster care as a consequence of their parents’ inability to afford safe, decent, permanent housing. Our work also aims to ensure that each young person who ages out of the foster care system has a solid plan for housing stability. Click here for a summary about NCHCW.
This website contains information about how to communities can build relationships between housing providers and the child welfare system such as:
Please take our new survey!  
NCHCW has launched a Surveymonkey survey to collect valuable information from communities nationwide about housing resources and ideas.  We are also taking your suggestions and comments through this survey. Please take a few minutes and complete it. 
Click here to access the survey.