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Family Reunification Pilot, Alameda County, CA from the work shop 6.1 Partnering with Child Welfare Agencies to End Family Homelessness at the 2013 National Conference on Ending Homelessness.
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FAMILY REUNIFICATION
HOUSING PILOT
ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA
6.1 Partnering with Child Welfare Agencies to End Family
Homelessness
National Conference on Ending Homelessness
Washington, DC July 22-24, 2013
Alameda County, CA
Alameda County, CA
Population 1.5 million
14 cities, largest Oakland, Berkeley and Fremont
821 sq miles
Urban, suburban, and rural
High rental costs
Aprox. 4k homeless
73% single 27% families
Building Futures with
Women and Children
To build communities with women and children
where they are safely and supportively housed, free
from homelessness and domestic violence.
BFWC Services
2 emergency homeless shelters for women and children
(55 beds)
Domestic violence shelter (20 beds)
52 units of transitional and permanent housing for
formally homeless survivors of domestic violence with
disabilities
Full range of community domestic violence services
including support groups
Housing Resource Center that provides homeless
prevention and rapid rehousing services (including
Supportive Services for Veterans Families program and
Family Reunification Housing program)
Program Description: What
Rapid rehousing and homeless prevention program
Helps homeless parents obtain housing so child can be
returned to their custody
Helps parents not suitably housed relocate to safe,
stable housing
Helps families “in care” and at risk of homelessness
maintain permanent housing
Provides housing search assistance, case management
and rental subsidies
Program Description: $$
Funded by Title IV Foster Care Waiver Funds
Alameda County one of two in California using a federal
foster care waiver that block grants funds and allows for
innovative strategies to reduce costs and out of home
placements
Will operate from August 2012
thru June 2014 when waiver
expires.
Total funding = $850,000
How Did We Make this Happen?
Used data
Demonstrated overlap of foster care and shelter families
Demonstrated cost effectiveness of rapid rehousing
“Our expertise can solve your problem”
Made the case that stable housing supports successful family reunification and we know housing
Focus on housing services and some income supports, not the clinical or parenting needs of the families
How Did We Make this Happen?
Negotiated by EveryOne Home, Alameda County’s
CoC, rather than single provider
Built on existing relationships and success of HPRP
Program pilots are much easier to say yes to
Program Description: Who
For families in “Reunification” or “Maintenance” with
Child Welfare
Reunification = children currently in foster care and
parent(s) that Child Welfare is working with to reunite
with kids. Families have a housing need that must be
addressed as part of the reunification process.
Maintenance = children have been reunified with
parent(s) but the family faces a housing crisis.
Families who have lost housing due to children being
taken from home.
Program Description: Partners
Abode Services and Building Futures: family and
rehousing providers provide the direct services
EveryOne Home: takes referrals, developed forms
and procedures, manages reports
Alameda County Housing and Community
Development: administers sub-contracts
Alameda County Social Services Agency Child
Welfare: funder and source of referrals
Program Description: What
Housing Assistance Includes:
Housing Services: housing stabalization
plan, budgeting, connections to employment and
benifits, credit repair, applications to wait lists…
Housing location: search, applications, negotiating
with landlords, etc.
Financial assistance: One time costs such as, deposit and move-in costs, utility arrears
and deposits, application fees, motels
Rental subsidies for 3 months at a time, capped
Family pays up to 50% of income. Rent capped at $1,200 month
What We Are Learning?
Income makes a difference
19% of enrolled families have income over $1,000/month as reported at time of referral
36% have moved to PH so far compared to 13% of families with incomes below $1,000/month
The sample size is small so inconclusive
A number of families are choosing site-based TH
Some families in Reunification may benefit from longer subsidies and more services than rapid rehousing typically provides.
A pilot is an excellent opportunity to advocate for change!
What Are We Learning?
(as of 6/30/13)
Households referred to program = 88
Households enrolled = 78
HUD homeless individuals = 25%
Number of households into PH = 19
Number of households into TH = 4
For more information:
Building Futures with Women and Children
San Leandro, CA
Website: www. bfwc.org
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 510-357-0205 x202
Liz Varela, Executive Director
For more information:
EveryOne Home, Alameda County, CA
• Website: www.everyonehome.org
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 510-670-9796
Executive Director, Elaine de Coligny
• Email: [email protected]