HUD’s Family Unification Program (FUP)
HUD’s Family Unification Program aims to provide the child welfare system with the resources necessary to prevent family separation due to homelessness and to prevent homelessness among aging-out youth. Eligible families include those families who are in imminent danger of losing their children to foster care primarily due to housing problems and families who are unable to regain custody of their children primarily due to housing problems. Eligible youth include those who were in foster care anytime after the age of 16 who are currently between the ages of 18- 24 (have not reached their 25th birthday) and are homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
HUD announces $30 million in new FUP vouchers. Read the press release here.
Click here for a two page overview of FUP.
HUD Announces $30 Million in Housing Funds to Prevent Family Separation and Ease the Transition to Adulthood for Foster Youth
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $30 million to public housing authorities nationwide, which will work closely with local public welfare agencies to identify youth at risk of homelessness and families whose lack of adequate housing is the primary reason their children are in foster care.
This funding will make 3,000 vouchers available for families who are unable to secure affordable housing for their children or dependents.
“HUD is committed to helping parents and caregivers obtain safe and affordable housing for their families,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “This investment will allow thousands of children to leave the foster care system and live with their families so they have the opportunity to thrive together.”
“With this investment, Secretary Carson takes a major step forward in his plans to ensure that HUD resources provide a platform for strong families and opportunities for self-sufficiency” said Ruth White, Executive Director of the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare. “We applaud the Secretary for leading the way towards interagency collaboration that will reunify thousands of children with their parents, improve the economic prospects for youth leaving foster care, and ultimately reduce costs.”
The funding announced today is offered through HUD's Family Unification Program (FUP), which provides rental assistance to parents struggling to provide adequate housing for their children. Additionally, this funding can be used to help provide stable housing for young adults (ages 18-24) who have aged-out of the foster care system. Like HUD's Housing Choice Vouchers, these vouchers allow families to rent housing from a private landlord and generally pay 30 percent of their monthly adjusted gross income towards rent and utilities.
According to the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare (NCHCW), an affordable housing and child welfare advocacy group, keeping children in foster care is an expensive alternative to affordable housing. On average, it costs more than $48,000 annually per family when children enter foster care. By contrast, housing and services to keep a family together costs approximately $15,000 annually per family. Supportive services for FUP families and youth are provided by agencies funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A $20 million investment in FUP vouchers saves more than $134 million in foster care costs.
Housing authorities that are awarded vouchers work closely with local public welfare agencies to identify youth at risk of homelessness and children who were placed in foster care due to lack of adequate housing.
Family Unification Program funding will be distributed to the following states:
STATEPUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITYAMOUNTVOUCHERS
ArizonaCity of Phoenix Housing Department$811,34989
City of Mesa$208,66528
Housing Authority of Maricopa County$260,07429
City of Tempe Housing Services Division$299,04730
Arizona Total $1,579,135176
CaliforniaThe Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles$966,04283
Housing Authority of The City of Los Angeles, The$842,61674
Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara$966,04274
The Housing Authority of the County of Yolo$212,15326
Housing Authority of the City of San Luis Obispo$349,14838
The Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz$966,04258
Community Development Commission of Mendocino County, Housing Authority$156,15622
Orange County Housing Authority $754,28260
California Total 5,212,481435
ColoradoBoulder County Housing Authority$611,94042
Colorado Total $611,940 42
ConnecticutStamford Housing Authority$471,41628
Bristol Housing Authority$275,30331
Housing Authority of the City of Hartford$743,83183
Connecticut Department of Housing$780,51472
Connecticut Total $2,271,064214
District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia Housing Authority$966,04248
District of Columbia Total $966,04248
FloridaJacksonville Housing Authority$562,03778
The Housing Authority of the City of Tampa$658,87480
West Palm Beach Housing Authority$726,92666
Gainesville Housing Authority$308,69641
Hialeah Housing Authority$720,49881
Homestead Housing Authority$268,83028
Florida Total $3,245,861374
GeorgiaHousing Authority of the City of Carrollton$97,31811
Georgia Total $97,31811
IllinoisThe Chicago Housing Authority$966,04278
Madison County Housing Authority$122,17119
Housing Authority of Cook County$857,33689
Lake County Housing Authority$382,02845
Illinois Total $2,327,577231
KentuckyKentucky Housing Corporation$425,84474
Kentucky Total $425,84474
MassachusettsLynn Housing Authority & Neighborhood Development (LHAND)$197,07815
Massachusetts Total $197,07815
MarylandHousing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County$247,35418
Baltimore County$820,03274
Maryland Total $1,067,38792
MichiganAnn Arbor Housing Commission$246,92332
Michigan State Housing Development Authority$514,15281
Michigan Total $761,074113
MinnesotaHousing Authority of St. Louis Park$118,38415
Washington County Community Development Agency$116,01215
Minnesota Total $234,39530
North DakotaFargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority$180,93640
North Dakota Total $180,93640
New HampshireNew Hampshire Housing Finance Authority$544,96864
New Hampshire Total $544,96864
New YorkIthaca Housing Authority$379,01241
New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development$728,35457
New York Total $1,107,36698
OhioColumbus Metropolitan Housing Authority$485,31174
Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority$72,78412
Ohio Total $558,09686
Oregon
Home Forward$966,04288
Central Oregon Regional Housing Authority$200,66929
Oregon Total $1,166,711117
PennsylvaniaHousing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh$556,62277
Housing Authority of the County of Chester$182,87021
Bucks County Housing Authority$778,61082
Pennsylvania Total $1,518,103180
TennesseeMemphis Housing Authority$490,13772
Knoxville's Community Development Corporation$113,18318
Chattanooga Housing Authority$450,59970
Tennessee Total $1,053,919160
TexasHouston Housing Authority$733,57585
Housing Authority of Travis County$303,73334
Texas Total $1,037,308119
VirginiaDanville Redevelopment and Housing Authority$181,74627
Loudoun County$136,83410
Virginia Total $318,58037
VermontVermont State Housing Authority$598,04759
Vermont Total $598,04759
WashingtonHousing Authority of City Of Seattle$966,04275
Housing Authority of the County of King$966,04261
Housing Authority of the City of Vancouver$565,15560
Washington Total $2,497,239196
WisconsinBrown County Housing Authority$290,06452
Eau Claire County Housing Authority$98,42220
Wisconsin Total $388,48772
TOTAL $29,966,9563,083Learn More at www.hud.gov and https://espanol.hud.gov.
HUD provides all FUp tools for free
Click here to visit HUD’s FUP website. HUD has provided all of the tools necessary to implement and administer a FUP partnership. There is no need to pay for similar tools or technical assistance to learn how to implement a FUP partnership. You may also wish to contact NCHCW to be connected to veteran FUP administrators at PHAs and child welfare organizations who will be more than happy to help you establish your partnership free of charge.
Links to some of HUD’s tools are below.