On November 17, Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced legislation that would ensure that families and youth who are at risk of becoming homeless have better access to housing resources and supportive services. The Family Unification, Preservation, and Modernization Act (S. 2289) seeks to improve the Family Unification Program (FUP), which provides housing vouchers to families and youth involved in the child welfare system. The bill would help families facing homelessness stay together and help youth aging out of foster care transition to adulthood.
The bill would:
- Require that HUD and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) work together to improve coordination and implementation of the FUP program;
- Replace the 18-month timeline for youth vouchers with a more administratively manageable 36-month timeline;
- Expand youth eligibility to individuals 18 to 24 years of age who either left foster care at age 14 or older or will leave foster care within 90 days, and who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless;
- Promote self-sufficiency programs by providing incentive payments to successful, data-driven interventions that improve outcomes;
- Provide competitive grants for supportive services that are specifically targeted to FUP recipients; and
- Strengthen the connections between local public housing agencies and child welfare agencies to promote family stabilization and reunification, and ensure that resources are identified for both youth and families to assist in their housing searches
“Throughout my years in public service and as a lawyer fighting housing discrimination, I’ve seen the tremendous impact that access to stable housing and support services can have on families and communities,” Senator Kaine said. “Unfortunately, many children who age out of the foster care system are left with few places to turn for assistance and end up on the wrong life track. This is an issue my wife Anne and I are very passionate about and I’m proud to partner with Senators Collins, Murray and Schatz to introduce this bill to help keep families together, reduce youth homelessness and ensure we’re meeting the needs of children transitioning out of foster care.”
In a statement in support of S. 2289, NLIHC President and CEO Sheila Crowley said “No child should ever have to go into foster care solely because his or her parents cannot find housing they can afford. And no child who has been in foster care should ever be consigned to homelessness when he or she becomes an adult. Senator Kaine’s bill will help ensure that families and foster youth who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness have access to the housing and supportive services they need. If enacted, this bill will go a long way toward removing homelessness as a barrier to keeping families together. In addition, it will keep children aging out of the foster care system from ending up on the street.”
Read Senator Kaine’s press release here: http://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-collins-murray-schatz-introduce-bill-to-help-prevent-youth-homelessness-and-keep-struggling-families-together
Learn more about S. 2289 here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/2289