Family Unification, Preservation, and Modernization Act of 2015

Family Unification, Preservation, and Modernization Act of 2015

This bill amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 with respect to the Family Unification Program (FUP) under which eligible youth aged 18-24 who left foster care at age 16 or older and who lack adequate housing may receive Housing Choice Vouchers (for section 8 tenant-based or project-based assistance) for a period of time. These Vouchers shall be available also for any such youth who will leave foster care within 90 days and who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

The period of assistance for such youth shall be extended from 18 to 36 months, and may be extended beyond 36 months to accord with the length of the youth's contract of participation in the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program. The FSS program helps Voucher program participants and public housing tenants obtain employment that will enable participating families to achieve economic independence.

The bill prescribes requirements for applications for FUP allocations.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) shall provide guidance to public child welfare agencies and public housing agencies (PHAs) to improve system coordination and implementation of assistance.

HUD may develop a program for incentive payments to PHAs that improve connections between FUP assistance recipients with FSS programs.

Part B (Child and Family Services) of title IV of the Social Security Act is amended to authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to make grants for FY2017-FY2025 to eligible applicants to cover up to 75% of the costs of supportive services, including case management services, for at least 12 months to recipients of FUP housing assistance.