Foster Youth Housing Initiative
Final Evaluation Report
Funder and Grantee Convening
May 2009
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Goals of the Web Seminar
Review findings of the FYHI evaluation
 Direct services
 Capacity building
 Systems-change
Discuss strategies to utilize information
 Program improvement
 Fundraising
Review policy implications
 Assembly Bill 12: California Fostering Connections to Success Act
 Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
3
FYHI Goals
Direct Services ($1,425,000)
 Provide grants to nonprofit organizations for direct services and housing assistance
to former foster youth.
 At least 150 youth will receive direct housing and supportive services through the
grantee projects.
Capacity Building ($350,000)
 Provide financial and technical assistance to seven capacity building projects through
a grant to the Corporation for Supportive Housing.
 These projects are designed to result in at least 40 new housing units for former
foster youth and increased housing development capacity for the grantees.
Systems Change ($150,000)
 Convene stakeholders and identify key policy priorities.
 Provide financial assistance to the Burton Foundation’s THP-Plus Statewide
Technical Assistance Project, which assists counties, housing developers, and
housing providers access and utilize THP-Plus funds.
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
4
Direct Services
Research Questions and Methods
Key Questions
 What changes over time (in terms of education, employment, income,
parenting, community integration, life skills, and behavioral health) do
youth participants experience?
 What predictions of future success do service providers have for former
foster youth?
 What successes and challenges in program implementation have service
providers encountered?
 What financial impact to the public does the intervention have over
time?
Methods
 Baseline (186) and final follow-up (130) surveys from youth participants.
 Almost three quarters of these surveys come from First Place (36%);
Center for Venture Philanthropy (21%); and Tri-City (16%).
 Focus groups: Held focus groups with youth from two programs.
 Key informant interviews with each direct service grantee
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
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Direct Services
Key Findings: Housing Stability
Programs have provided 586 youth with stable housing at
a stage in their lives when former foster youth are at risk
of homelessness.
 The youth had an average housing tenure of 16 months, and
are now more able to afford stable housing; 83% of the
youth either currently have sufficient monthly income for
stable housing, or are on a path to having sufficient monthly
income.
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
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Direct Services
Key Findings: Educational Attainment
Youth are more engaged in education and increasing their
educational attainment.
 For those who had a high school
degree, GED, or less, 68% of
them completed additional
schooling while in the program.
 Youth devoted more hours to
being in school while in the
program, increasing the average
number of hours spent in school
per week from 3.8 to 11 hours.
May 2009
Improvement in Educational Attainment
From Baseline to Final Data Collection
(n=112)
Attained
higher
education
beyond high
school or GED
43%
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
No school
attainment
32%
Attained high
school or GED
degree
25%
7
Direct Services
Key Findings: Income
 Participants’ total income increased almost 50% from intake to
final data collection. For those in the program six months or more,
monthly income rose 44% from $706 to $1,013.
Increase in Average Total Income:
Baseline to Final Data Collection
Average Total Income
$1,200.00
$1,013.00
$1,000.00
$800.00
$706.00
$600.00
$400.00
$200.00
$0.00
Baseline
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
Final
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Direct Services
Key Findings: Health and Well-Being
Youth are meeting their physical and mental health needs
more effectively.
 For youth who were in the program for at least six months,
19% of increased access to health care services and 25% have
increased access to mental health services. This is especially
true for youth who have children.
 For youth facing serious mental health issues, providers
reported that 61% are sufficiently connected to mental health
services to be able to maintain their housing and thrive.
 Youth reported decreased depression and a more positive
overall outlook on life.
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
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Direct Services
Key Findings: Parenthood
Youth who have children are helping to break the cycle of foster
care by regaining parental custody of their children.
100%
Percent of Parenting Youth
 The proportion of youth living
with their children rose from
51% to 90%, indicating an
increase in custodial rights.
Increase in Parenting Youth with
Custodial Rights:
Baseline to Final Data Collection
90%
75%
51%
50%
25%
0%
Baseline
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
Final
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Direct Services
Key Findings: Juvenile Justice Involvement
Relatively few youth had contact with the criminal justice
system during the program, and providers expect that even
fewer of them will have contact after exit.
 Providers reported that 15% of the youth had contact with
the justice system during the program, and providers expect
11% to have contact in the future.
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
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Cost Benefit
Key Findings: Financial Benefits of FYHI
 The cost-benefit analysis of the FYHI program
shows that the original investment in one youth is
paid off sometimes between 10 and 15 years.
 In over 40 years, the net benefit to the public sector
for one youth is almost $90,000.
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
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Cost Benefit
Key Findings: Financial Benefits of FYHI
Cost Benefit Analysis for the Average FYHI Youth:
Projected net benefit over a 40-year career
Annual Benefits
Avoided Costs to Public Sector Annually
Contact with Criminal Justice System:
Emergency Shelter Utilization:
Public Assistance Receipt:
Total:
Average
Average Cost
Avoided Cost
FYHI
FFY
FFY-FYHI
$8
$63
$55
$375
$517
$142
$2,257
$3,432
$1,175
$2,640
$4,012
$1,372
Total Annual Benefits
40-year: $1,372 + $1,974 = $3,346
Benefits to Public
Average Taxes
FYHI
FFY
Yearly Tax Revenues:
40-year projection:
$3,304
$1,330
Average
Additional Taxes
(FYHI-FFY)
$1,974
One-Time Program Costs
Average Cost for 2-Year FYHI Program
$43,857
May 2009
Cost / Benefit
After:
Benefit
Cost
Net Benefit
40 Years: (40 x $3,346) - $43,857 = + $89,983
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
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Capacity Building
Research Questions and Methods
Key Questions
 What progress are grantees making on their projects to
develop housing units for former foster youth?
 In what ways has participating in FYHI built grantee capacity
to develop housing for this population?
Methods
 Baseline and follow-up survey completed by all grantees
 Review of grant documentation
 Key informant interviews with all grantees
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
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Capacity Building
Key Findings: Benefits of FYHI Participation
 Organizations found high-quality consultants,
freeing up staff time
 Some organizations hired additional staff with
housing development backgrounds
 Association with Corporation for Supportive
Housing imparted legitimacy
 Grantees were well positioned to take advantage of
THP-Plus funding
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
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Capacity Building
Key Findings: Increased Capacity for Providers
 Service providers have learned about housing
development
 Developers have learned about how to design
housing for this particular population
 Both types of grantees have learned a great deal
about how to navigate funding sources
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
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Capacity Building
Key Findings: Development of Housing Units
Number of Units Coming Online 2006-2009
Capacity Building Grantee
Location
Number of Units
San Jose
Lutheran Social Services
Northern CA
11
10
Greater New Beginnings
Oakland
24
Unity Care
Total
45
Number of Units Coming Online 2010-2011
Capacity Building Grantee
Location
Number of Units
Affordable Housing Advocates and Fred Finch
Berkeley/Oakland
15
San Francisco
8-10
Santa Clara
20-25
San Francisco
12+
Fremont
15-20
Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center
Bill Wilson Center
Booker T. Washington
Abode Services
(formerly Tri-City Homeless Coalition)
Total
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
70-82
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Capacity Building
Grantee Perspective
Capacity Building Grantee Experience:
Abode Services
(formerly Tri-City Homeless Coalition)
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
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Systems Change
Research Questions and Methods
Key Questions
 What benchmarks have been reached that indicate progress
made toward systems change?
 What policy and budgetary changes have occurred that
indicate success around systems change?
Methods
 Key informant interviews with Burton staff and other
stakeholders.
 Review of monthly activity reports from the Burton
Foundation.
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
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Systems Change
Activities and Accomplishments
 Advocated for an increase in the state THP-Plus budget from
$10M to $35M
 Counties implementing THP-Plus grew from 5 to 44
 Children participating in THP-Plus grew from 200 to 1,300
 Statewide survey of youth in THP-Plus that received 500
responses
 Served as convener through statewide and regional trainings
 Developed a list and distributed information regularly to over
600 people
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
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Next Steps for Evaluation Dissemination




Professionally designed executive summary
Opinion piece in the SF Chronicle
AB12 advocacy
Possible journal article
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
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Possible Uses for FYHI Evaluation Information
 Internal Uses
• Share results with management team and program staff:
congratulate them!
• Compare outcomes of group to your organization
 External Uses
• Send the published report to funders
• Write about the results in a letter to major donors
• Include in your newsletter, website and annual report
May 2009
FYHI Final Evaluation Report
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AB 12:
California Fostering Connections to Success Act




Eligibility
Court oversight and child welfare services
Implementation date
Placement types
•
•
•
•
•
•
Foster Family Home
Kinship
Group Home
THPP
THP-Plus
Supervised Independent Living Placement (SILP)
23
Homelessness Prevention and
Rapid Re-Housing Program
 $1.5 billon available nationally
 In California:
• $144 million to entitled jurisdictions
• $44 million to State of California HCD
 Eligible Activities:
•
•
•
•
Financial Assistance
Housing Relocation and Stabilization
Data Collection and Evaluation
Administration
 Contracts with Sub-Grantees: September 30th
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HPRP Allocations of Jurisdictions of
FYHI Grantees
ALAMEDA
$552,208
ALAMEDA COUNTY
$802,915
BERKELEY
$1,332,952
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
$1,421,551
DALY CITY
$510,070
FREMONT
$682,331
OAKLAND
$3,458,120
RICHMOND
$559,735
SAN FRANCISCO
$8,757,780
SAN JOSE
$4,128,763
SAN MATEO COUNTY
$1,166,526
SANTA CLARA COUNTY
$717,484
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Homelessness Prevention and
Rapid Re-Housing Program
 Financial Assistance
• Rental assistance (may be full or shallow subsidies and may be
graduated/declining)
• security deposits
• utility deposits
• utility payments (for up to 18 months and up to 6 months arrearages)
• moving cost assistance –includes truck rental, moving assistance and up to 3
months storage
• motel and hotel vouchers
 Housing Relocation and Stabilization
• Case management –arrangement ,coordination, monitoring and delivery of
services related to meeting the housing needs of program participants
• Outreach and engagement
• Housing search and placement – assistance locating, obtaining and retaining
housing
• Legal services – legal services to help people stay in their rental homes
• Credit repair –budgeting, money managements and resolving credit issues
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HPRP: What You Can Do
 Review substantial plan amendment for your
jurisdiction
 Identify point person in your jurisdiction
 Educate other homeless youth providers
 Attend planning meetings
 Make the case for homeless youth
 Apply for funding
 Stay informed about state process
More information about HPRP on June 10th Web Seminar
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