5.3 Better Outcomes for All: Working with Mainstream Services Agencies to End Homelessness Speaker: John Egan Ending homelessness requires the support of agencies and resources outside of the homeless assistance system like the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and child welfare. This workshop will identify some of these key agencies and offer ideas on how they can work with homeless assistance providers to improve outcomes for youth, families, homeless providers, and themselves. An additional focal point will be how to ensure community resources are allocated fairly based on need.

1. Working with
Mainstream Agencies
Child Welfare:
Because Every Child Deserves a Home

2. Norman History
 DCFS was not ready for the surge in the
number of homeless families.
 Lawsuit against DCFS resulting in the
Norman Consent Decree.
 Understanding that it is more expensive
to have children in care than to serve
appropriate parents.

3. Norman Services
 Housing Advocacy
 Cash Assistance
 Norman TANF Application Program

4. Youth Housing Assistance
Program (YHAP)
 100 % funded by the Independence
Facilitation Grant (Chafee)
 Youth between the ages of 17.5 and 20
who are aging or have aged out of state
custody
 Transition between ILOs, TLPs and
other living arrangements to
independence.

5. YHAP Services
 Housing Advocacy Program
 Cash Assistance
 Partial Housing Subsidy (for youth with
closed cases)

6. Housing Advocacy (HAP)
 Crisis Intervention.
 Develop relationships with landlords.
 Provide apartment listings.
 Provide tenant counseling.
 Advocate with housing providers.
 Provide linkages to community services.
 Provide follow-up services.

7. HAP Eligibility
 Family has children who are in danger of
being placed in, or cannot be returned
home from, DCFS custody due to
inadequate housing.
 Youth was in DCFS care at 14 and are
over the age of 17.5 and not yet 21.
 Family or youth needs assistance
locating housing.

8. HAP Cost
 Client: Target Staff Ratio 25:1 for
families, 18:1 for youth.
 Agencies bill on average 50 hours per
client though the range is large.
 Agencies bill about 8-20 hours per client
for follow-up services, sometimes more
for youth.
 Agencies paid between $20 and $28 per
hour.
 Cost averages about $1,200 per client.

9. Cash Assistance (CAP)
 Housing costs, such as security deposit
 Utilities
 Food
 Clothing
 Beds for the children
 Kitchen Appliances

10. CAP Eligibility
 Families: An item is needed to keep the
child from being placed in, or to return a
child home from, DCFS custody that the
family cannot afford to purchase
themselves.
 Youth: An item needed to stabilize their
housing situation.

11. CAP Cost
 Price of the item purchased (typically
$1,200 per client)
 5% administration fee to the agency
processing the cash assistance requests

12. YHAP Partial Housing Subsidy
 Youth pays 30% of their income on
housing.
 Provides up to $250 per month directly
to the property manager.
 Life of the subsidy is 12 months.
 Subsidy decreases over time.

13. Cost Effective
 Cost of a child in care is often more than
$1,000 per child per month for the
caseworker and the foster care payment.
 A family with three children in care would
cost about $3,000 per month.
 A youth in a transitional living program
can cost $5,000 per month.
 The cost for HAP and CAP services is
about $2,355 lifetime.

14. Family Unification Program
 Provides a Housing Choice Voucher
(HCV, also known as Section 8)
 Families who have children who are in
danger of being placed in or cannot be
returned home from DCFS care due to
inadequate housing.
 Youth who were in child welfare custody
at 16, are under the age of 22 and live in
inadequate housing. (Youth receive the
assistance for 18 months.)

15. FUP and OHACA services
 All FUP families and youth served by a
housing advocate.
 All FUP families and youth receive cash
assistance for security deposits and
other items
 FUP Families case remains open for at
least 3-6 months after receiving the
voucher
 FUP Youth case remains open for life of
the subsidy.

16. Funding for Housing Services
 Independence Facilitation Grant
(Chaffee funds)
 Unused TANF funds
 IV-A Waiver
 Super NOFA
 User fee added to the cost of recording
mortgage documents

17. Working with
Mainstream Agencies
Child Welfare:
Because Every Child Deserves a Home
John Cheney Egan
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
100 W. Randolph, Chicago IL 60601
312 814-1878
john.j.egan@illinois.gov