New Hampshire will receive more than $500,000 to assist families at risk of entering the foster care system because of housing struggles. This marks a new source of funds for New Hampshire from the federal Housing and Urban Development's Family Unification Program.
The money will towards helping families who would otherwise be split up because they aren't able to afford adequate housing.
"We determined that there were literally hundreds of cases at any one time that might benefit from this program," said Dean Christon, Executive Director of The New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority.
The state applied for the maximum 100 vouchers, and ended up getting 64.
Youths who are aging out of the foster care system and could be at risk of homelessness are also eligible for the vouchers. Christon says, over the summer, state officials identified 342 youths in this group alone.
Rhonda Siciliano is a spokesperson in the Boston Regional Office of Housing and Urban Development. She says four of New England's six states will receive assistance, including New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont.
"It's critical in New England because it is such a high cost of living area and we have seen over the years a steady rise in family homelessness,” Siciliano says.
