1. Helping Americans
  2. Family Unification Program (FUP)

Family Unification Program (FUP)

Overview

The Family Unification Program (FUP) is a program under which Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) are provided to two different populations:

1. Families for whom the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in:
          a. The imminent placement of the family’s child or children in out-of-home care, or
          b. The delay in the discharge of the child or children to the family from out-of-home care. 
      There is no time limitation on FUP family vouchers.

2. Otherwise eligible youths who have attained at least 18 years and not more than 24 years of age and who have left foster care, or will leave foster care within 90 days, in accordance with a transition plan described in section 475(5)(H) of the Social Security Act, and is homeless or is at risk of becoming homeless at age 16 or older.

There is no time limit on FUP vouchers issued to families. As required by statute, FUP vouchers issued to youth are limited to 36 months unless the youth meets the requirements to receive an extension of assistance under the Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities (FSHO) amendments. FSHO provides FUP youth an extension of the 36-month time limit for up to an additional 24 months if they meet certain requirements.

PHAs administer the FUP in partnership with Public Child Welfare Agencies (PCWAs) who are responsible for referring FUP families and youths to the PHA for determination of eligibility for rental assistance. Once the PCWA makes the referral the PHA places the FUP applicant on its waiting list, determines whether the family or youth meets HCV program eligibility requirements, and conducts all other processes relating to voucher issuance and administration.

In addition to rental assistance, the PCWA must provide or secure the provision of supportive services to FUP youths for the amount of time required in the Notice of Funding Availability/Opportunity (NOFA/O) under which the vouchers were awarded (i.e., typically 18 months or 36 months); examples of the skills targeted by these services include money management skills, job preparation, educational counseling, and proper nutrition and meal preparation.

FUP Fact Sheet (Updated December 2023): provides general program information for individuals who are interested in obtaining a FUP voucher.

FUP PHAs and PHA Contact Information

(Updated December 2023) FUP Awards All Years: provides a list of PHAs that have been awarded FUP vouchers. FUP funding is allocated through a competitive process; therefore, not all PHAs administer the program. Individuals who are interested in obtaining a FUP voucher may utilize this list to identify whether there is a PHA in their area that administers FUP. For contact information for all PHAs by State, not only PHAs that administer FUP, click here.

Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities (FSHO) Amendments

The Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities (FSHO) amendments were enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and provides FUP youth an extension of the 36-month time limit for up to an additional 24 months if they meet certain requirements. FSHO applies to FUP youth who first leased or leases a unit after the date of enactment of FSHO, i.e., December 27, 2020.HUD published an FSHO implementation notice in the Federal Register on January 24, 2022 (87 FR 3570).

FUP Youth and Family Self-Sufficiency Program Demonstration (The deadline for applications to participate in the demonstration closed on Friday, July 15, 2016.)

In the FY2015 Appropriations Act for HUD, Congress authorized a demonstration to test the effectiveness of combining Housing Choice Vouchers for eligible youth lacking adequate housing under the Family Unification Program (FUP) with assistance under the Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) program.

Related Notices and Guidance

  • FUP Questions and Answers (QAs) provides answers to specific policy questions about FUP.
  • Promising Strategies for FUP Administrators: Examples of Processes from Family Unification at 6 PHAs/PCWAs. This document was written in 2011 and contains some outdated information related to youth eligibility and the time limit for youth. Nevertheless, the strategies contained in the document are still relevant to the administration of FUP.

FUP Notices of Funding Availability/Opportunity (NOFA/Os)

  • Establishes specific program requirements and rating criteria for review and selection of FUP applications. Please note that only Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) that have an existing Annual Contributions Contract with HUD for HCVs may apply for FUP funding, not individuals or other organizations.
  • 2024 FUP NOFO: The 2024 FUP NOFO was published on August 1, 2024, with application deadline of October 30, 2024.
  • 2022 FUP NOFO: The 2022 FUP NOFO was published on Grants.gov on April 25, 2023 (with an application deadline of May 25, 2023) This NOFO is substantively the same as the “preview” of the NOFO that was made available on HUD’s website beginning on December 15, 2022.

Related Information

  • Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) program: This program provides Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) to youth who have attained at least 18 years and not more than 24 years of age who have left foster care, or will leave foster care within 90 days, in accordance with a transition plan described in section 475(5)(H) of the Social Security Act, and is homeless or is at risk of becoming homeless at age 16 or older.
  • Youth Aging out of Foster Care: Website for HUD’s research project on the housing needs of the nearly 30,000 youth who “age out” of the foster care system each year.
  • Housing Choice Vouchers Fact Sheet

Other Resources