Family Unification Program Notice of Funding Availability for Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018 | FR 6100 N 41

Opportunity Information: Apply for FR 6100 N 41

The Family Unification Program (FUP) Notice of Funding Availability for Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018 is a discretionary grant opportunity from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that expands access to Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) for two highly targeted populations connected to the child welfare system. The core purpose of the program is to prevent unnecessary family separation and to support young people transitioning out of foster care by addressing housing instability as a key barrier to safety, reunification, and long-term stability. In practical terms, HUD uses this funding to make additional voucher assistance available through local housing agencies so eligible households can afford stable housing in the community.

The opportunity focuses on two eligible groups. The first group is families involved with child welfare where inadequate housing is a primary reason a child is either about to be placed into out-of-home care or cannot be discharged from out-of-home care back to the family. In other words, the program targets situations where the family could safely remain together, or reunify, if the housing problem were solved. The second group is youth ages 18 through 24 (the youth must not have reached their 25th birthday) who left foster care at age 16 or older, or who will leave foster care within 90 days, and who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The youth eligibility is tied to a transition plan described in section 475(5)(H) of the Social Security Act, reinforcing that the assistance is meant to support a planned move into adulthood rather than a last-minute crisis response.

A major statutory feature of FUP is the time limit that applies specifically to youth vouchers. A voucher issued to an eligible youth can provide housing assistance for a maximum of 36 months. That cap is important because it shapes program design: the assistance is intended as a bridge to stability, employment, education, and longer-term housing options, rather than indefinite rental support. By contrast, the summary provided here does not describe a 36-month cap for the family category in the same way; the highlighted statutory limit applies to vouchers issued to youth.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, this is a grant-style HUD competition categorized under Housing (CFDA 14.880). The funding instrument type is listed as a grant, and the opportunity is discretionary, meaning awards are made through a competitive selection process rather than a formula. The notice anticipated about 60 awards, with an award ceiling of $1,071,000. The grant is administered by HUD, and applications were required to be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date. The opportunity was created on April 25, 2018, and the original closing date was July 24, 2018.

Eligibility is summarized broadly as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice, which typically indicates that only certain entities, commonly public housing agencies in partnership with public child welfare agencies, can apply or participate in the program structure. The program’s design inherently depends on coordination between housing providers and child welfare systems, because eligibility for both families and youth is tied to child welfare status, risk of out-of-home placement, discharge delays, or foster care transition timing. Overall, this funding opportunity is aimed at using rental assistance as a preventive and stabilizing tool: keeping families together when housing is the main obstacle and helping young adults leaving foster care avoid homelessness during a critical transition period.

• The US Department of Housing and Urban Development in the housing sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Family Unification Program Notice of Funding Availability for Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018" 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, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 24, 2018 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (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 $1,071,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 60 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for FR 6100 N 41

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: