Three Days on the Hill - Training Day 2016

1. Three Days on the Hill
2016
Training Day

2. 1. HUD-FASH proposal (overview, history, updates, next steps)
2. Chafee proposal
3. Circle diagram
4. Legislative Visit role-plays
5. Youth work in groups to prepare
6. Youth report out
7. Question and answers
8. Travel to HUD (we must leave by 3 pm)
9. Waiting at HUD (everyone will need their photo ID)
10.Meeting with HUD (starts at 4 pm)
Today’s Schedule

3. • In December of 2014, Ohio foster
care youth proposed and designed
a transitional housing model call
HUD-FASH and requested that it
be piloted in Ohio.
• Their proposal is modeled after an
existing successful program, the
HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive
Housing (HUD-VASH) program,
which combines Housing Choice
Vouchers and rental assistance
with case management.
HUD-FASH

4. • HUD-FASH is specifically designed to serve former foster
care youth experiencing homelessness (including couch-
surfing) through a Housing First approach that combines a
housing choice voucher rental assistance with case
management and clinical services where needed.
• The primary goal of this program is to prevent
homelessness for this vulnerable population, and to lay the
foundation for future housing stability.
• A key component of the program is case management
service, designed to improve foster care alumni's ability to
achieve and maintain stable housing in the future.
HUD-FASH

5. • On Tuesday, May 19, 2015, our youth leaders met with HUD
representatives. Staff were very supportive.
HUD-FASH:
Meeting last year

6. • At their suggestion, our next steps were to identify two legislative
champions (Congresswoman Joyce Beatty and Congressman Steve
Stivers). They hosted a delegation dinner in support of our proposal.
HUD-FASH:
Champions on the Hill

7. • Ultimately, the state of Ohio's entire Congressional
delegation signed on to support HUD FASH, and jointly
requested: "We would ask that HUD create the HUD-FASH
program as quickly as possible and then devote 1,000 vouchers
to it and monitor its results."
• Letters of support were also submitted by the Ohio
Department of Job and Family Services, the Public Children's
Services Association of Ohio, the Columbus Metropolitan
Housing Authority, and county commissioners and child welfare
agencies from each area referenced in the pilot proposal.
HUD-FASH:
Letters of Support

8. Response letter from HUD:
• HUD cares about ending homelessness for youth
- particularly cost-effective suggestions
• HUD welcomes new and innovative proposals,
like HUD-FASH
• HUD had already turned in their FY2016 budget,
so there wasn't funding available to support a full
implementation of HUD-FASH right away
• The letter reminded us of existing programs
(Respectfully, barriers to availability and access of
those particular programs are why youth drafted
their proposal)
HUD-FASH:
Current outlook

9. Continued advocacy for a demonstration project of HUD-FASH, in order to
address the high rate of homelessness among former foster youth.
HUD-FASH:
Next Steps

10. The money has to
come from somewhere
Resource Details
Ohio ranks dead last in the
nation when it comes to
state funding for child
welfare
Counties have a general
revenue fund
The amount of funding varies by county (inconsistency)
It’s based on county tax levies, and county commissioner’s
decisions on what to appropriate money towards…
State and federal programs Every program has specific purposes for which it can be used
Some programs have a local matching requirement

11. Funding for
transitional housing
Resource Details Challenges
IV-E Can be used for housing placement for
foster youth who are still in custody, but
placement must be supervised 24/7 and IV-E
approved.
Further use of funds would
require the state to extend
foster care until age 21, in order
to receive federal
reimbursement.
IV-E if Ohio
extended fc to
21
If we did this, that would expand use of IV-E
funds for transitional housing options, such
as: host homes, college dorms, shared
housing, semi-supervised apartments, and
supervised apartments
Ohio hasn’t extended foster
care until 21 yet.
This is something we need to
keep advocating for on a
state level (not on the Hill)
TANF-IL Requires Chafee to be spent down first. For
emancipated youth, can be spent on security
deposits, utility deposits, rent and utility
payments for 4 months.
Can’t be used for room and
board for youth still in custody.
They have to be emancipated.
Chafee funding Up to 30% of a state’s Chafee allocation can
be used on housing.
Flat-funded since 1999.

12. IV-E
*State guidelines
to get reimbursed

13. Funding for
transitional housing
Resource Details Challenges
HUD Section 8 vouchers Long wait list
FUP (Ruthie can add this part) Not every county is eligible.
Requires partnership between local
child welfare and local public housing
authorities
Foster care alumni are only one of
the populations listed as being able
to benefit from this funding allocation.
Adults who are pregnant or parenting
are prioritized over single, childless
former foster youth
HUD-FASH This proposal was created and
developed by Ohio foster care youth,
alumni and allies, specifically to meet
the needs of foster youth.
We are still advocating for a pilot
demonstration

14. Possible funding streams
for transitional housing for
emancipating foster youth
in Ohio
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Age
TANF Independent Living
funds
Up to 30% of a county’s
Chafee allocation
FUP if county applied for and
was approved for it
Title IV-E if Ohio extends
foster care supports to 21
Regular Section 8
Finding a reliable roommate

15. Chafee challenge:
No funding increase
since 1999

16. Chafee challenge:
Serving additional
youth

17. Chafee challenge:
Serving additional
youth
Starting independent living services at age 14 is the right thing to do in
order to improve lifelong outcomes. It also means that the state of Ohio
now has 1516 additional youth to serve.

18. Part of what makes Chafee vulnerable to flat-funding and cuts in
the future is that it's considered "discretionary funding.”
This spending is an optional part of fiscal policy.
In contrast to entitlement programs for which funding is
mandatory.
Chafee challenge:
It’s considered
“optional” by the feds

20. Making the Case for
Public Policy