Key Issues & Opportunities in Developing Housing Housing For Transition Age Youth (TAY )

1. Key Issues & Opportunities in Developing Housing Housing For Transition Age Youth (TAY) CIMH Housing and Homeless Coordinators 9th Annual Meeting Lake Tahoe- July 30th, 2006 www.csh.org

2. Our Mission CSH helps communities create permanent housing with services to prevent and end homelessness.

3. The Role of CSH What we do……………. • Predevelopment Funding • Technical Assistance • Systems Advocacy

4. Overview • Transition Age Youth and Homelessness • New Funding & System Change Opportunities • The Collaborative, Who, How and What Model • Legal Issues and Opportunities In Housing TAY • Publications/TAY Resources

5. Supportive Housing Leverages Results Reduces Stress on Emergency Systems Houses People Tool for Economic Development Supportive Housing Revitalizes Communities Leverages Other Resources

6. Transition Age Youth and Homelessness

7. Defining The Population (TAY) • System Youth • The child welfare/foster care system. • The residential treatment system for youth with chronic health or mental health disabilities (sometimes within foster care system). • The juvenile justicesystem. • Non-System Youth • Run away and homeless youth living outside mainstream systems who are utilizing drop-in centers/shelters. • Precariously housed- often referred to as “couch surfers”. • Youth “thrown away”, or otherwise neglected by their parents to the point of homelessness. • “Street Youth” live outdoors and generally survive via the street economy. • Overall they are defined as homeless because they have Voluntary left their parents custody.

8. What System and Non-System Youth Have in Common Youth who run away from foster care are the most underserved of homeless young people.

9. Federal Service Funding: Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs must be licensed and regulated under the states’ Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse or Office of Children and Family Services. Recognition at the national policy level of youth homelessness came in 1974 with the passage of The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA). Limited Resources available for housing and support services. Youth Center Program Limited Funding and States may require local bureaus to match funds. Street Outreach Program (AKA sexual Abuse Prevention Program Transitional Living Program (TLP) Programs funded under RHYA provide only temporary shelter and/or immediate services to youth in crisis until reunification can occur.

10. Federal Service Funding: Foster Care/System Youth • Independent Living Act was passed in 1985 and signed into law in 1986. The impetus of the program was the realization that children who are aging out of foster care were…disproportionately homeless, unemployed, involved in the criminal justice system, and had a variety of other negative outcomes. The Act earmarked approximately $70M to support states in their efforts to provide Independent Living services to youth in their care. ILA/ILSP FUP TANF FUP-Pilot set-aside 500 Section 8 Independent Living Vouchers nationwide for youth aging out of foster care • “reducing out-of-wedlock pregnancies” • Kinship model-allows children in foster care to be considered a “family of one” for the purposes of receiving TANF-funded services.

11. New Funding & System Change Opportunities In Housing TAY

12. Funding: THP-Plus & Recent Policy Changes • Provides affordable housing and supportive services to homeless former foster youth. • 60% County match requirement was eliminated and now it is 100% State funded, effective July 1, 2006. • Rate setting is not changed per youth. The rate remains up to 70% of the average foster care expenditures for foster youth age 16 to 18 in group home care in the county in which the program operates. • 17 counties have approved THP-Plus plans. • Counties without approved plans will not be able to implement the program until the next fiscal year, July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008. • THP-Plus is not a stand alone budget item, it is combined with the THPP program, which is a placement program for youth between 16 and 18 in foster care. • Currently the budget for both programs is $8.5M, with an estimated $5.25 M to go towards THP-Plus • CDSS will allocate funds to each county based on their plan and communicate the allocations to the county point person with 30 days of the passage of the state budget.

13. Funding: Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund Act of 2006 • How it helps Emancipated Foster Youth • The State legislature passed Senate Bill 1689 (Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund Act of 2006). • Places a $2.85 billion bond measure on the November 7th ballot (Proposition 1c) to expand housing for California’s low-to-moderate income families. • Of $2.85 Billion, $50 million is earmarked for housing for California’s emancipated foster youth. • Great incentive for non profit developers to set-aside units for Emancipated Foster Youth in their affordable housing developments • Fund Distribution • California Department of Housing and Community Development will distribute funds through its Multi-Family Housing Program. • Funds can be used for new construction, rehabilitation, or acquisition of permanent or transitional rental housing. Funds cannot be used for provider services. • If passes by approval of the voters on the November ballot as proposition 1c, the Multi-Family Housing Program will most likely issue a NOFA in early 2007 and funds will be distributed to projects by the autumn of 2007.

14. Leveraging MHSA Funding • Community Services and Support money can be used to fund services and rental subsidies • Capital money can be used for bricks and mortar development or to capitalize operating reserves

15. Systems Change: THP PLUS Statewide Implementation Project The John Burton Foundation in collaboration with CSH and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is working to reduce homeless among former foster youth by expanding access to the Transitional Housing Placement Program, the States only housing program targeting this growing population.

16. Systems Change: THP-Plus Statewide Implementation Project Activities and Outcomes • Project Activities • Refinement of THP-Plus Program development guidelines • Development of monitoring and evaluation policies. • Creation of standardized application materials at the state and county level • Training and technical assistance for THP-Plus next fiscal year, July • Project Outcomes • Decreased Homelessness among former foster youth. • Established network of THP-Plus supporters • Expanded knowledge of effective housing approaches for former foster youth. • Timeline: The project was launched in May 2006 through a planning grant from the Walter S. Johnson Foundation. • Technical assistance material for providers available in October 2006. • Training on materials will commence through web seminars, five trainings, presenting at conferences and convening and individual consultation. • Refinement of THP-Plus program development guidelines and improved state and county monitoring will commence in January 2007.

17. The Collaborative: Who, How and What Models ?

18. Housing Types (Transitional or Permanent) • Dedicated buildings (single site model) • Individual apartments (scattered site model) • Set aside units in a single building • Single family homes

19. Who Creates The Housing? • A wide variety of entities can create and operate youth housing. • The deciding factors include the type of model, the target population to be served, the organization’s experience and capacity, the competitive environment, and even the funding sources. • Partnerships are the most prevalent way to create permanent supportive housing models.

20. How Is Housing Created? • Development of new buildings • Acquisition and renovation of existing buildings • Establishing dedicated “set-aside” units within non-profit or for-profit owned housing • Long-term lease agreements with private landlords for single units or entire apartment buildings (master leasing) • Identifying private landlords who rent directly to consumers (often with a subsidy attached.)

21. What Are some Partnership Models? • Set-a-side Units in an Affordable Housing Building • Developer performs property management. • Developer contracts with 3rd party property management company. • Dedicated Building Developer Owns • Developer performs property management. • Developer contracts with 3rd party property management company. • Developer responsible for development of dedicated building Service Provider Owns • Service Provider performs property management. • Service Provider contracts with 3rd party property management which could be connected to NP Developers’ organization. Non Profit Developer Property Management Youth Provider

22. Key Players In Developing Permanent Supportive Housing for TAY? Developer Community Support Service Provider Youth Funders Property Management

23. Property Management Role • Overall fiscal management and accounting responsibilities for project Responsible for maintaining the building, including addressing health and safety issues, repairs and unit turn-over. • Maintain compliance with government and private funds and other regulatory or fiscal compliance Enforce the leasing agreement; coordinate with the support services team and the tenant, to address issues jeopardizing housing retention

24. Property Management Role Cont’d. • Participate in the process of developing the project design • Manage the rent-up process, including marketing, outreach, interviews, and tenant selection • Participate in community organizing, including working with tenant leaders • Provide orientation to incoming tenants • Hire, train and supervise property management staff

25. Service Provider Role • Design and implement the Support Services Plan • Help raise funds for implementation • Participate in applicant tenant screening and help applicants address barriers • Engage tenants in services to support housing stability and life goals

26. Service Provider Role (cont’d.) • Crisis management; assist in dealing with disruptive tenants • Participate in community organizing • Participate in developing and revising House Rules; help develop and implement emergency policies & procedures. • Maintain records of services provided

27. Funder Role • Identify community supportive housing needs and provide support for housing creation • Provide incentives to developers to create supportive housing for the target population • Plan for and provide funding for development, services and operations • Regulate and monitor the project over time for compliance with funding terms and regulations • Work with project team and with other funders to address findings or other problems, if any

28. Designing Housing for Youth • Engage Youth when possible in the development process. • Prepare for the fact that some Youth may age in place in a permanent supportive housing model, in particular depending on funding sources. • Youth prefer to have their own room with a lock and if sharing a unit would like some input in choosing their roommate. • Most Youth prefer to live in a diverse environment and believe older people provide role modeling, whereas clustered with the same age create peer pressure.

29. Property Management Considerations When Designing Housing for Youth • Let Youth contribute to rule making. • Make rules to encourage Youth to do well, versus make them vulnerable to eviction. • Prepare for the fact that some Youth may age in place in a permanent supportive housing model, in particular depending on funding sources. • Welcome and educate property management partners on youth culture. • Youth with mental health issues need extra attention and flexibility from property management and housing staff. • A zero tolerance policy does not allow Youth the flexibility to learn from their mistakes.

30. Ownership versus Leasing

31. Scattered versus Single Site

32. Housing Models Single-Site vs. Scattered-Site?

33. Housing Models Single-Site vs. Scattered-Site?

34. Legal Issues and Opportunities

35. Discrimination and housing Homeless Youth: AB 2972 and AB 1354 • Pre-existing anti-age discrimination law has not permitted housing assistance programs to be offered exclusively to homeless youth 24 years of age or younger • AB2972 became effective January 1, 2003. • The legislature declares that the “provision of housing for homeless youth is hereby authorized and shall not be considered unlawful age discrimination.” • The law defines homeless youth as someone between ages 18 and 24 who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, is no longer eligible for foster care due to age, or has fun away from home or someone under 18 who has been legally emancipated. • Housing for homeless youth means emergency, transitional or permanent housing tied to “supportive services that assist homeless youth in stabilizing their lives and developing the skills and resources they need to make a successful transition to self-sufficient adulthood’. Places a $2.85 billion bond measure on the November 7th ballot (Proposition 1c) to expand housing for California’s low-to-moderate income families.

36. Discrimination and housing Homeless Youth: AB 2972 and AB 1354 • AB 1354 • Effective May 21, 2002 , permits California Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP) funded emergency shelter and transitional housing programs to restrict occupancy exclusively to persons 234 years of age or younger without violating age discrimination

37. Restrictions on Student Status • Tax Credits: Restrictions on full-time students • Former Foster Youth and Youth who have been wards of the court can receive a waiver if enrolled in a program that qualifies as vocation/job training. • HUD: Eligibility of Students for Assisted Housing Under Section 8 • Although there are restrictions regarding the eligibility of students under 24 from receiving section 8 assistance, there are provisions that allow for exceptions to the verification of parental income in the absence of that are particularly applicable to runaway and foster youth. • Youth who qualify under independent status are eligible to receive section 8..

38. Publications/TAY Resources

39. CSH Publications @ www.csh.org Youth Supportive Housing • Assessment of the need for housing for youth - Including discussions of why youth are homeless, the characteristics of runaway and homeless youth, and the foster care system and homelessness. • Overviews of current funding and legislative issues, existing models (especially transitional housing), and public policy recommendations

40. CSH Publications @ www.csh.org Youth Supportive Housing • Brief summaries of existing projects - Including Independent Living Programs, permanent or “trans-permanent” supportive housing for youth, the Foyer model of housing in Europe, and supportive housing for youth with special needs. • Recommendations for funding programs and changes to systems that impact homeless and foster care youth.

41. CSH Publications @ www.csh.org Housing Youth: Key Issues in Supportive Housing • Explores issues specific to permanent housing, with an emphasis on the nuts and bolts of designing and operating supportive housing targeted toward young people.

42. CSH Publications @ www.csh.org Housing Youth: Key Issues in Supportive Housing • Focuses on the strengths, needs and development issues of homeless youth and young adults to help inform decisions about housing models, service packages, staffing, property management, tenant selection, and funding.

43. CSH Publications @ www.csh.org Housing Youth: Key Issues in Supportive Housing • Provides a comparison of transitional and permanent supportive housing model • Resources for funding supportive housing for youth and young adults. • Profiles of existing permanent supportive housing for youth and young adults. • Sample policies and agreements, including policies on drug and alcohol use, house rules, and lease agreements.

44. For more information…

46. Questions and Answers