The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides housing assistance to many former foster youth via the voucher-based Family Unification Program (FUP), but prior to a new research project conducted by Mathematica Policy Research and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago on behalf of HUD and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the extent to which communities were utilizing FUP and barriers to its wider use were rarely studied.
Drawing on findings from surveys of public housing agencies and public welfare agencies that administer FUP and site visits to four areas that use FUP, researchers uncovered implementation issues and identified lessons learned and best practices for FUP use. A larger study also includes a literature review on housing for youth who have aged out of foster care, an issue brief on the policy implications of FUP utilization, and recommendations for future research and evaluations of housing alternatives for youth aging out of the foster care system.
To read the full report, please click here.