FY 2022 Family Unification Program Notice of Funding Opportunity | FR 6600 N 84

Opportunity Information: Apply for FR 6600 N 84

The FY 2022 Family Unification Program (FUP) Notice of Funding Opportunity is a discretionary grant opportunity from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) designed to expand access to Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) assistance for households involved with, or transitioning from, the child welfare system. The core idea behind FUP is that housing instability is often the key barrier keeping families together or helping young people successfully exit foster care, so the program funds rental assistance that PHAs administer in close coordination with Public Child Welfare Agencies (PCWAs). Through this partnership model, housing support is used as a practical tool to prevent unnecessary foster care placements, speed up reunification when children are already in out-of-home care, and reduce homelessness risk among youth aging out of care.

FUP assistance is targeted to two specific populations. First, it serves families whose lack of adequate housing is a primary reason a child is about to be placed into out-of-home care, or a primary reason that a child cannot be discharged from out-of-home care back to the family. In plain terms, the voucher is meant to remove the housing-related obstacle that is putting family unity at risk. Second, it serves youth who are at least 18 years old and not more than 24 years old (they must not have reached their 25th birthday) who have left foster care or will leave foster care within 90 days, consistent with the transition planning requirements referenced in Section 475(5)(H) of the Social Security Act. These youth must also be homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, with the program’s risk determination tied to circumstances occurring at age 16 or older. The program structure reflects two different policy needs: stabilizing family housing to avoid unnecessary separations, and helping young adults who may not have family support avoid falling into homelessness at the point they exit the foster care system.

The time limits on assistance differ by group, and the NOFO highlights an important statutory update for youth. For families assisted under FUP, there is no time limit on the vouchers, meaning the assistance can continue under the standard HCV rules without a special program cap. For youth, Congress set a statutory limit of 36 months of assistance for FUP youth vouchers. However, the Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities (FSHO) amendments, enacted in Section 103 of Division Q of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260), allow certain FUP youth to receive an extension beyond the 36-month cap for up to an additional 24 months if they meet specific requirements. The NOFO notes that FSHO applies to youth who first leased, or will lease, a unit after December 27, 2020 (the date of enactment), which includes youth expected to be assisted with funding made available under this competition. HUD also references its implementation guidance for these amendments, published in the Federal Register on January 24, 2022 (87 FR 3570), signaling that applicants and eventual awardees are expected to align their administration of youth vouchers with that guidance.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, this opportunity is listed as a grant under the Housing funding activity category, with CFDA number 14.880. The funding opportunity number is FR 6600 N 84, and the agency is HUD. The posting shows an award ceiling of $1,200,000 and anticipates approximately 10 awards, indicating a competitive selection process with a limited number of recipients. The opportunity was created on April 25, 2023, and the original closing date was May 25, 2023, with the application deadline specified as 11:59:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on the closing date. Eligibility is summarized as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," but the program description itself makes clear that the operational model depends on Public Housing Authorities partnering with Public Child Welfare Agencies, so applicants generally need to fit within that PHA-led framework and demonstrate an effective partnership with the child welfare entity that will help identify eligible families and youth and coordinate supportive services.

Overall, this NOFO is about using tenant-based rental assistance as an intervention at two high-risk points: when a family might lose or cannot regain custody because of housing barriers, and when a young adult is leaving foster care and faces homelessness. The emphasis on the FSHO extension is significant because it recognizes that many youth need more than three years to achieve stable income, education completion, and long-term housing security, and it gives PHAs additional flexibility to support youth who meet the extension criteria while still operating within a defined statutory framework.

• The US Department of Housing and Urban Development in the housing sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2022 Family Unification Program Notice of Funding Opportunity" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 14.880.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 25, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 25, 2023 The application deadline is 115959 PM Eastern Standard time on. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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