Housing and Child Welfare: Funding from HUD

In August, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $20 million in grants to support the Family Unification Program, a partnerships between public housing authorities (PHAs) and local child welfare agencies across the country. The Family Unification Program supports families in the child welfare system by connecting them with stable housing in order to reunite children with their parents and to provide affordable housing and support to young people leaving foster care.

H.U.D recently announced $15 million in new grants to support the Family Unification Program. PHA’s have until December 1, 2010 to apply for the new Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers for the program. The National Center for Housing and Child Welfare is holding a conference from Nov. 15-16, 2010 to learn about creating or maintaining successful Family Unification Program partnerships and to learn more about applying for the funding.

To learn more about the way that housing security intersects with child welfare visit The National Resource Center for Permanency and Child Welfare; they provide a list of resources on the topic.

For strategies to support youth transitioning from foster care visit our homepage to sign-up for e-mail updates on results-based policy regarding youth in transition- coming soon!

Event: Hard Times, Solid Policies to Renew American Communities

The Brookings Institution is holding a forum on October 13^th to address the continued hardships facing American cities and states. The event will include two panel discussions, paper presentations, and a key-note address by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. Governor Granholm will be joined at the event by former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin, New York City Deputy Mayor Steve Goldsmith and other experts. The forum is focused on policy solutions for renewing American communities; a strategy paper and three proposals from the Hamilton Project will provide a range of options for individual workers and communities to help recover from the economic crises.

Materials from this event will be available through the Brookings Institution on the event webpage.

To register for this event.

For more on Family Economic Success.

For more strategies on Financing Community Change.

Housing: Just One Piece of the Puzzle

Stressful housing environments have the potential to negatively impact resident’s health long after they have moved to better housing. HOPE VI was developed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to revitalize public housing communities and improve resident’s quality of life. The Chicago Housing Authority, through a grant provided by HOPE VI in 1999, relocated residents from distressed communities in an attempt to provide improved housing in safer neighborhoods. In August, 2010, the Urban Institute released a series of research briefs exploring the outcomes of families affected by this relocation including, “The CHA's Plan for Transformation: How Have Resident's Fared?.”

By tracking 198 sample families, the study provides insight into the results of the Chicago Housing Authority’s efforts to transform dilapidated public housing into healthy communities beginning in October, 1999. The relocation has been viewed as successful as high rises were replaced by mixed-income communities. Today, the majority of the families that relocated in 1999 live in improved conditions. Nevertheless, poor health and low-employment rates continue to plague these residents. Although low-income residents live in somewhat safer neighborhoods, they do not have sufficient access to economic and educational resources. In order to foster economic success, the Chicago Housing Authority has created programs to connect residents to employment and educational opportunities.

For more information on Family Economic Success.

For a previous blog on HOPE VI revitalization programs.

The Impact of the Housing Crisis on Children

The total number of home foreclosures across the country in 2009 reached 2.8 million; a 21 percent increase from 2008. This crisis has impacted families, communities and the economy; however the specific impact on children has largely not been researched.

A recent report by The Urban Institute titled, Smallest Victims of the Foreclosure Crisis: Children in the District of Columbia, addresses the impact of the housing crisis on children in the nation’s capital. This report is one in a three-part series of The National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP) to explore how the foreclosure crisis is affecting school-age children in New York, Baltimore, and Washington DC. The report describes the D.C. housing market including trends in foreclosures; includes information regarding households with public school students going through foreclosure; and addresses the implications for the schools and agencies providing housing and services.

While the report states that there has not been an extensive amount of research to date on the effect of foreclosure on children, they do site research stating that:

• Residential moves caused by economic instability are disruptive and disorienting for children because their parents are occupied with financial concerns and finding a new home.
• Disruptive or numerous residential moves are linked to children’s academic problems, such as grade retention, school completion, and a lack of interpersonal skills.
• Several studies have found that residential mobility is mostly detrimental to children when the move is reactive instead of strategic, or if the move was caused by some factor of turbulence within the household, such as a loss of a job or change in family composition.

Understanding the ways that the housing crisis has impacted children is critical for creating policy that addresses the complex needs of families during the recession. This report offers important information about the way that foreclosures have impacted children in D.C. and the ways that systems might respond to the ever growing needs created by the housing crisis. For policymakers across the country this brief presents some compelling ideas that might also relate to their communities.

For more on reducing home foreclosures.

The Benefits of Higher Education

CollegeBoard recently published "Education Pays 2010: Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society,” a triennial report that documents the benefits that individuals and societies receive from investing in higher education. In regards to postsecondary education, statistics tend to focus on disparities between high school and college students. The individual benefit of attending college is well-founded as adults with a bachelor’s degree earn $21,900 more in median earnings than high school graduates. Furthermore, the report notes that young adults (20-24) who only earned a high school diploma were 2.6 times more likely to be unemployed in the fourth quarter of 2009 than college graduates. Nevertheless, “Education Pays 2010” stands out due to its concern for the societal benefits of investing in higher education.

A more educated society releases stress on social programs. “Education Pays 2010” found that spending on social support programs and incarceration costs are much lower for college graduates in comparison to high school graduates. College educated adults are more likely than others to receive health insurance and pension benefits from their employers and remain satisfied with their job. Additionally, adults with a bachelor’s degree are believed to smoke less frequently and exercise more often than individuals without a college education.

These statistics indicate both the individual and societal benefit of investments in postsecondary education. Based upon these findings, increased access to postsecondary education will provide tremendous benefits for both low-income families and society as whole. Earlier this month, CLASP opened their Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success in order to facilitate postsecondary educational opportunities for low income families.

For more on Family Economic Success.

The ACA and Community Health Centers

In March of 2010 Congress passed, and the president signed, the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Provisions of the ACA reform the health insurance industry and expand coverage to more Americans. However, with this change, there will be an increased need for community health care centers and a well-trained health care workforce. A new issue brief by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured addresses the opportunities and challenges presented by health reform for community health centers. The brief, Community Health Centers: Opportunities and Challenges of Health Reform, states that health reform is going to usher-in important changes to the American health care system and that community health centers will be central to providing care to millions of Americans, particularly those in underserved areas.

The brief is a useful tool for policymakers because it includes information on the way that provisions of the health care law intersect with the role of community health centers. This information is important in considering the opportunities for states that are available through the Affordable Care Act. For example, the ACA includes several provisions aimed at expanding the health care workforce in order to ensure that people have access to health care in addition to health insurance. Some of the strategies to accomplish this include increasing funding aimed at the National Health Services Corps and funding for community-based training programs. States considering new workforce development strategies that also have areas with health access concerns would certainly benefit from considering this opportunity.

Other intersections between the ACA and community health centers include:

• Increased funding for health centers
• Insurance expansion
• Medicare payment reform
• Delivery system reform

The brief includes detailed information on the way that community health centers will play a key role in these, as well as other, aspects of comprehensive health care.

For more on funding opportunities available through health reform.

For more on creating jobs through community health centers visit our Financing Community Change blog.

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Candidate's Corner- New on PolicyforResults.org!

In difficult economic times, policymakers need effective approaches that improve the lives of children and families. The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) has developed a series of briefs to help policymakers make the best decisions for children and families as safety nets are strained by the newly unemployed and tax revenues are sluggish.

These briefs on Candidate’s Corner concentrate on how to set a state’s economy in the right direction through responsible investments in family economic success, healthy child development, education and training. They emphasize policies that are economical or supported through federal funding.
Visit the Candidate's Corner to learn more.

Report: “State Approaches to School Readiness Assessment”

How do states assess school readiness? The methodology behind education statistics is particularly relevant during election season (see the Maryland Governor's Race).The National Conference of State Legislatures released an updated technical report in August, “State Approaches to School Readiness Assessment,” that closely examines states’ approaches to readiness assessments. Such a report is significant because of the correlation between kindergarten success and positive adult outcomes.

The NCSL classifies readiness as a child’s: physical well-being, social and emotional development, approach to learning, language development, cognition and general knowledge. Findings in these categories enable states to track gains among the kindergarten population, compare readiness across districts, and connect readiness data to later school performance or backwards to early learning programs. Cross-state analysis is limited due to varied approaches throughout the United States.

Only 26 states perform readiness assessments and four of those do not require assessment of all kindergarten students. Minnesota conducts a cost-efficient sampling process, while Arizona, Kansas, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Tennessee do not specify a particular instrument by which the data is collected. States like Minnesota and Maryland use a state-created instrument to perform analysis of students. The NCSL report states that, “Ideally, evaluation of the complicated set of skills and behaviors that comprise ‘school readiness’ would use multiple assessment methods.”

Inconsistencies among data make it difficult to improve programs and services for early learning based upon the information. The NCSL report notes that there will soon be a renewed federal emphasis on these data systems that will result in increased focus on readiness evaluations. Nevertheless, changes in school readiness assessments must maintain some universal consistency while accounting for regional and state differences.

For more on Ensuring Children are Healthy and Prepared to Succeed in School.

The 2009 Poverty Numbers

On Thursday the Census Bureau released the 2009 data on poverty and income. It was disheartening, though not a surprise, to see that the poverty rate in the United States rose in 2009 while median income fell. Not surprising in part because from December 2008 to December 2009 unemployment rose from 7.4 percent to 10.0 percent; contributing to the staggering 1.1 percent jump in the poverty rate.

However, even with one of the highest recorded increases in the poverty rate, the numbers were not as bad as some predicted. This is due in part to government safety-net programs. Several initiatives provided cash transfers and kept some Americans from falling below the poverty line. Social Security supported the elderly; whose poverty declined. While unemployment insurance and major transfers made through ARRA supported non-elderly adults. It is also important to note that while substantial stimulus dollars went to support low-income families, those benefit programs provide in-kind assistance and were therefore not captured in the poverty data.

While safety-net programs might have moderated the effects of the recession for some, the severity of the increase in poverty should be taken very seriously by policymakers. At a time when 20.7 percent of American children are living in poverty it is important for policymakers to consider what strategies are working to moderate the impact of the recession on families, and which are not. Whether the program provides in-kind benefits or cash assistance it is critical to evaluate the way that saftey-net programs are helping those in the greatest need in a time of extreme economic hardship.

The poverty numbers also suggested that while the recession is impacting people across the country, it has been experienced in different ways and to differing degrees.

• The poverty rate for those who have only a high school education or less rose by 1.2 percent, while for those with a college degree the increase was significantly less at 0.4 percent.

• Male householders experienced a 3.1 percent increase in poverty, female householders experienced a 1.2 percent increase, and married couples experienced an increase of 0.3 percent.

Understanding how communities are being most effected and why will help policymakers create safety-net programs that will meet family and community needs. The Census Bureau’s proposed supplemental poverty measure will hopefully be a new tool in understanding poverty and lead to improved strategies for serving those most in need. In the meantime, Isabel Sawhill at Brookings suggests strengthening the safety-net for as long as it takes to get the unemployment rate back to a reasonable level. She suggests that this will not only support families but will also aid in the recovery by allowing families to maintain their purchasing power, helping to create jobs.

For more strategies on Family Economic Success.

More from our blog: a primer on poverty measurement and the Census instruments used.

National Neighborhood Alliance Launched

The Center for the Study of Social Policy, United Neighborhood Centers of America, Harlem Children's Zone and PolicyLink are joining with several other leading organizations in launching the National Neighborhood Alliance. The National Neighborhood Alliance is a voluntary collaboration of national, state and local organizations that are supporting work in communities of concentrated poverty.

Starting in October, the Alliance will begin holding a series of regular, monthly conference calls to share information about work in, or support of, these communities. The calls will also serve as a forum for sharing information on advocacy efforts.The National Neighborhood Alliance is open to any interested national, state or local nonprofit organization, philanthropic organization, or for-profit organization involved in neighborhood-based work. Membership is free. Adding your organization to the list is simple. Just email Patrick Lester at plester@unca.org. The original founding organizations are:

• Alliance for Children and Families
• America’s Promise Alliance
• The Bridgespan Group
• Center for the Study of Social Policy
• Child Trends
• Coalition for Community Schools
• Enterprise Community Partners
• Harlem Children’s Zone
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation
• National Congress of American Indians
• PolicyLink
• Promise Neighborhoods Research Consortium
• Results Leadership Group, LLC
• The Rural School and Community Trust
• The Skillman Foundation
• Social Solutions
• United Neighborhood Centers of America
• United Way Worldwide
• YMCA of the USA

By Patrick Lester, crossposted from Building Neighborhoods.