Family Outreach Resources - Welfare to Work Vouchers

Overview

Some PHAs have enough WtW-eligible families on their Section 8 waiting list to meet WtW lease-up requirements. Many others, however, will need to develop outreach and marketing strategies to educate potential eligible families about the program and its benefits and to encourage them to apply.

Determine Your Target Population

The first step in conducting family outreach is to determine your target population. PHAs may target all three WtW target populations (families currently receiving TANF, families eligible for TANF, and families who have received TANF assistance in the last two years) or only one or two of these categories. While outreach to families in the first category will be relatively straightforward, outreach to families in the latter two categories may be more difficult and may require additional time and resources.

Research indicates that many of the families that currently remain on TANF are those with multiple barriers to employment, including low education and skill levels, substance abuse, domestic violence, and mental health issues. As a result, PHAs may be more successful targeting working and work-ready families that are either eligible for but not receiving TANF or who left TANF within the past two years.

A key to successful family outreach is close collaboration with partner agencies and extensive use of their client networks. A strong outreach effort will succeed in attracting families that will benefit most from the program. It will also ensure at the outset that families are aware of what is expected of them as well as the opportunities presented by the program.

Resources

	Family Outreach FAQs
	Sample Resident Newsletter:Developed by CHAC., Inc. in Chicago, IL (Adobe PDF, 5 pages)
	WtW Voucher Availability Notice and Participant Interest Questionnaire: Developed by the Mid-Columbia Housing Authority in The Dalles, OR (Adobe PDF, 2 pages)
	Family Outreach, Selection, and Continued Participation: Slide Presentation from the National Conference (Adobe PDF, 7 slides)