Episode 32: Housing's Critical Connection to Child Welfare - Part 2

Date: January 2019

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Transcript:   cwig_podcast_housing2_transcript.pdf   [PDF, 396 KB]

Families and children make up approximately one-third of the homeless population in the United States. These families are at greater risk of entering the child welfare system and face greater challenges in working toward reunification than families involved in child welfare who have stable housing. Child welfare agencies struggle in helping families manage both case plans and housing challenges. By connecting with community housing partners and local housing authorities, agencies can reduce the barriers families may face in obtaining affordable housing and help those families sustain their new home over time.

'Housing’s Critical Connection to Child Welfare' – Part 2 continues a conversation exploring how the San Francisco Human Services Agency partnered with the San Francisco Housing Authority and the Homeless Prenatal Program to help families obtain vouchers and locate affordable housing in the Bay Area. Part 1 demonstrated how child welfare and housing specialists partner to identify families, support their case plan, navigate the housing system, obtain Family Unification Program vouchers, and work with landlords.

This episode pays attention to the lessons learned and critical elements needed to develop strong working relationships with local housing authorities, bring all partners together to make decisions, and continuously improve the collaboration’s efforts and results. The program discussed, "Families Moving Forward," was funded through a Partnerships to Demonstrate the Effectiveness of Supportive Housing for Families in the Child Welfare System grant from the Children’s Bureau.

This episode, 'Housing’s Critical Connection to Child Welfare' – Part 2, features insight and perspective from the following guests: