ARP-HCY Spotlights: Housing-Related Supports

As of the end of November 2022, Pinellas County Schools (PCS) had 3, 062 students identified, approximately 6% of their student population. After receiving $1.9 million in ARP-HCY Part I and Part II funds, PCS prioritized providing wraparound services and housing-related supports, staffing, and transportation to support the district’s students experiencing homelessness. The majority of the funds were dedicated to supporting housing partnerships.

With a collaborative contract already in place between the city of St. Petersburg, PCS, and other community partners, the district was able to expand this cooperative agreement to support housing for families using ARP-HCY funds. The community organization, Directions for Living, provides programs to get families into shelter and housing. Prior to ARP-HCY, this program collaboration was specific to students and families at the highest need schools with the highest numbers of students experiencing homelessness. Because of ARP-HCY funds, this contract was expanded to include any family identified as experiencing homelessness in the district. McKinney-Vento points of contact in each building can refer any family to this program. With just over $1 million in ARP-HCY funds going toward this housing collaboration, additional case managers were hired to support families not only get into housing, but also to support those at risk of homelessness by advocating with landlords and helping remove past evictions from rental histories, and place families in motels temporarily. This housing program can serve up to 90 families in a school year, and PCS has already referred more than 90 families to this program. The case managers work to remove barriers to the resources and supports that exist within the county.

In addition, PCS has used ARP-HCY funds to support a partnership with a community organization, Clothes for Kids, that provides uniforms to students. Prior to this partnership, PCS was using district funds to buy uniforms for students on an as needed basis; however, with ARP-HCY and Title IX funds, PCS is able to partner with Clothes for Kids so families can go to this organization to shop for uniforms and clean clothes for a week at a time, removing this barrier for students to attend school.

PCS is also using ARP-HCY funds to expand a collaboration with the community program Starting Right Now. This program serves unaccompanied homeless youth, providing housing, mentors and life skills to support students through high school and graduation, postsecondary planning, and continuing to support them through their higher education. District points of contact can refer unaccompanied homeless youth to this program, and ARP-HCY funds COVID health and hygiene protocols for referred students.

Using approximately $500,000, ARP-HCY funds made it possible to expand the district’s existing contract with Ever Driven Transportation, a private rideshare with vetted drivers for school of origin transportation. With the additional transportation option, attendance and stability have increased, most notably for students at the secondary level.

Finally, ARP-HCY funds were used to hire an additional staff member who will take over as homeless liaison in December of 2023. The liaison position is currently funded through the Title I, Part A homeless reservation, so funding for this position will shift from ARP-HCY to Title I, Part A when funds are no longer available.

PCS is carefully tracking data on these partnerships and initiatives, with the goal that community partners will step up to fund these once ARP-HCY funds are no longer available. Because the data shows the efficacy of the work, community partners will be able to see how their funding can be used in tandem with PCS funds. This includes other available grant application opportunities, expanding existing district contracts, and shifting district funds to best meet needs. The district prioritizes networking with community partners to show the successes of the collaborations and the need for further partnership and funding.

“We are visible in the community, reminding our community partners of McKinney-Vento so that our housing partners can also be McKinney-Vento advocates. We connect families to these partners who are experts at moving families into housing because our expertise is education. We’ve built a successful model of partnerships with our housing providers, and it’s been the best way to use ARP-HCY funds to support our families.”
-Dr. Christine Cantrell, Student and Community Support Services Homeless Liaison

Without knowing how it would come to fruition, Boston Public Schools (BPS) began to lay the groundwork to begin housing partnerships approximately one year before ARP-HCY funds became available. The combination of ARP-HCY and ESSER funds provided an opportunity for BPS to initiate a unique partnership with the Boston Housing Authority and FamilyAid Boston. BPS contracts with FamilyAid Boston, a community-based organization, to provide housing navigation, case management, and housing vouchers to complement federal HUD and private donor funding. The housing vouchers are provided through a combination of public and private funding that does not supplant existing resources.

FamilyAid used the ARP-HCY funds made available through the school district to increase their case management capacity. Case managers provide housing navigation to walk families through the process of preparing housing applications, searching for housing, and signing a lease. In addition, wraparound services are provided to the family, including case management for at least twelve months after the family becomes housed. The case manager works with families to connect them to health and mental health care, support for their social-emotional wellbeing, as well as other needed assistance.

BPS’ housing partnership has led to the development of a second initiative, the Emergency Homelessness Intervention Program. This program provides case management and wraparound services to increase family access to shelters, connect to health care partners, support social-emotional wellbeing, and connect families to financial assistance to break the cycle of homelessness.

These partnerships have been critical components of the academic success of BPS students. Teachers are better able to work with students to meet academic needs because they have partnerships to meet non-academic needs. School staff are trained in making referrals to FamilyAid, and the McKinney-Vento points of contact in each school building support the referral process.

“Even with forward thinking business office staff and agreement among our top leadership, there were still barriers to facilitate housing support on our own. Part of our plan was to have a seat at the table and a voice with providers. They have expertise that we don’t have to navigate housing barriers so that teachers can focus on teaching.” – Brian Marques, Senior Director, Department of Opportunity Youth

Richland County School District One is using ARP-HCY funds to increase the capacity of their McKinney-Vento program for the first time. The district has created two positions to support the work of the long-time homeless liaison. The first position funded with ARP-HCY will be an administrative assistant to support the overall work of the program. The second position is a case manager position who will focus on outreach and identification, as well as systems navigation, supporting the work of the liaison, and continuing to build up the program.  Richland One has lost students because of the pandemic and overall numbers are down. However, increasing staff capacity with ARP-HCY funds provides the opportunity to be intentional and deliberate in finding and supporting these students.

In addition to adding staff members, Richland One will use ARP-HCY funds to support the work of a new partnership with the NAACP. Through a fellowship with law students from the University of South Carolina, the NAACP will provide clinics around the district to connect families with housing navigators and legal resources. The NAACP will provide trained housing navigators to walk families through housing issues ranging from eviction to tenant-landlord issues. Families will benefit from the pro-bono legal expertise provided, as well as the comprehensive connections to community resources. ARP-HCY funds will pay for school staff time to be available during the clinics, but the clinics themselves will not require funding, making this housing resource sustainable into the future.

“I am excited because for the first time we are able to help with capacity which is a huge need in our district. I’m excited about the wonderful footprint this work will leave.”

-Deborah C. Boone, McKinney-Vento/PASS Coordinator