Housing
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Supervised Independent Living Programs (SILPs)
SILPs are apartment-based foster care placements that offer young people, ages 16 years and older, opportunities to live on their own in an apartment (usually with one or two roommates) with the support of agency caseworkers. It’s a good opportunity to get a taste of life on your own, but there are also things that are expected of you. Work/School Requirements: You must work or attend school. Some SILP programs require both. Savings Accounts: You have to save a minimum amount in a bank account each month so you have savings once you have completed the program. The goal is to help you prepare for your future, and that includes saving money. Duration of Placement: SILP placements are limited to one year but may be extended by six months only if a resident requires additional time to complete a work readiness/vocational program. Availability: There are not nearly enough SILP apartments for all the young people who want them. You must plan ahead to get into a SILP program. If you think this is the best option for you, be sure that you meet the requirements. Then, if you meet the requirements, speak with your caseworker or independent living coordinator about it. Choosing the Kind of Apartment You Want to Move Into In New York City it is hard to find decent housing at an affordable price. As a result, we have to ask ourselves a lot of hard questions. Can I live in a neighborhood where I feel safe? Can I live in a neighborhood that’s not too far from everyone I know? Will I live alone, with friends or family, or will I live with strangers? We even wind up asking ourselves questions like, can I sleep on the couch, should I room with this guy even though he’s kind of sleazy? Then there are all the personal questions we have to ask ourselves, such as: Can I handle living alone? If I move in with a roommate, are we capable of working things out? Will I be able to pay bills on time? Will I feel too lonely in a place of my own? Before we start looking for a place, we have to answer what kind of place we want to live in and what kind of place we’d be willing to live in. Some of us have dealt with group apartments and foster apartments for so long that we know that the only thing we can tolerate is an apartment of our own. But there are also other options to think about when you’re considering moving into an apartment that might be better and cheaper. These include: Sharing an apartment: Apartment shares can be great, or they can be rough, depending on whether you and your roommate have similar needs and habits, and whether you can work out your differences. Consider sharing an apartment with a friend. If you don’t know anyone who is interested in sharing an apartment, you can go to a roommate service, which will charge a fee for finding you a roommate, or you can look at the apartment listings at the college office, or on Craig’s List or other online services. (http://www.craigslist.org) Word to the wise about sharing: Some people have a harder time with apartment sharing than others. It seems that boys will live in any mess and get along just fine. But girls seem to have more definite standards and expectations about how to keep an apartment. They also seem to have stronger feelings about how roommates should behave toward each other—such as sharing clothes or inviting friends over. If you’re planning to share an apartment, talk about your expectations with the other person and learn what they expect from you before you commit to moving in together. Sharing and Section 8 (Housing Choice Vouchers): You’re not allowed to share studio or one-bedroom Section 8 apartments. There can be only one person on the lease, and if it is discovered that you are sharing (such as through an unannounced visit, you can lose your apartment and voucher). For more on section 8 (click here). SROs: SROs (stands for Single Room Occupancy) are buildings or hotels where you can rent a single room. Landlords usually try to rent out these rooms on a daily basis at a high daily rent, but in some cities there is a way to become a ‘‘rent stabilized’’ tenant in an SRO at a reasonable weekly rate. College dorm/off-/on-campus housing: If you go away to college you can live in a dorm or in an off-campus apartment, which can be a lot cheaper than the city. Also, many colleges have bulletin boards or housing offices that list apartments for rent or people looking for roommates. What housing does ACS pay for if you’re in college? If you’re going to college outside of the city, and you’re age 18 to 21, and you have not signed yourself out of care, the room and board payment that ACS would have sent to your foster parent or group home is sent to the college instead. That should cover room and board in your dorm. If you're going away to a college without dormitories, the room and board payment that ACS would have sent to your foster parent or group home can be sent directly to a landlord. In other words, ACS will pay for off-campus housing if your college has no on-campus housing. However, this can be a complicated issue (where do you stay on vacations, for example?). If you will be attending college outside of the city (congratulations!), be sure to talk with your foster parents and your caseworker to get all of the arrangement straight before you head off to school. Finding an Apartment on Your Own Terms You Should Know When Looking for an Apartment of Your Own Efficiency: a one-room apartment with its own bathroom, but not necessarily a complete kitchen. You might share a kitchen with others. Studio: a one-room apartment with its own kitchen and bathroom. Basically you live and sleep in one room. Broker’s fee: The amount of money you pay an apartment broker or realtor for finding you an apartment. Remember: If you don’t use a broker, you don’t pay a broker’s fee. Read apartment notices on telephone poles. Ask friends for tips. Look on Craigslist.org. Try to avoid that broker’s fee! Credit check fee: The landlord may check your credit rating and charge you a credit check fee of about $25. (This is a routine check into your financial status, and does not indicate whether you were in foster care.) First month’s rent: Just that—the first month’s rent you pay the landlord when you move in. Security deposit: This is usually equal to one month’s rent, but some landlords require more. The deposit money is returned to you after you move out, unless the landlord keeps the deposit to pay for unpaid rent or damage to the apartment. Lease: A written contract that the tenant (you) and landlord sign, requiring the tenant to live in an apartment for a specific period of time (usually one to three years) for a set amount of rent. Programs that Can Help You Find an Apartment If you are not getting the help you need finding an apartment or are having no luck on your own, these places can help you with your housing search. ACS Office of Housing Support and Services (HSS) Housing Support & Services (HSS) works with foster youth under the age
of 21. Youth may walk-in to our office located at 150 William Street, Edwin Gould Academy Multiservice Center This multi-service center for youth who have aged out of foster care has a housing specialist who can help you in your search for an affordable apartment once you register for their program. Note: Edwin Gould also has a very small transitional housing program of its own. Programs That Can Help You if You’re in Danger of Becoming Homeless Sometimes our best plans go wrong. We fight with our boyfriend or girlfriend, who also happens to hold the keys to our apartment, and we end up out on the street. We get sick, miss work, and no longer have the money to pay the rent. We move into an apartment we think will be ideal, only to find we have a creepy landlord. If we’re lucky, we have time to start the whole housing process over again (some luck!). But sometimes we find ourselves homeless or close to homeless without a moment’s notice. If you find yourself homeless or in danger of becoming homeless, there are some programs that you might be able to help you find a stable place to live again. They may not be able to make all your problems go away, but they often know about resources that most of us don’t. The New York City Human Resource Administration (HRA) If you’re in a financial crisis and can’t pay your rent (or come up with the rent, security deposit and broker’s fee for a new apartment), the Human Resource Administration (HRA) may be able to help. In emergencies, HRA provides no-interest loans that cover one month’s rent (or rent, security deposit, and broker’s fee for a new apartment). You must pay back the money steadily over one to two years. It is important to take this into account when you make a decision to accept the loan. But it is also a good resource if you are in a temporary financial crisis. HRA’s requirements include that you have a steady source of income, that the lease to the apartment is in your name, and that the apartment is affordable given your income. To see if you are eligible for an emergency “one-shot deal” call 1-877-472-8411. Explain your housing situation to them. If you are eligible, you will need to go to a public assistance office to apply for the loan. Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) Citizen's Advice Bureau is part of the HomeBase program that helps people who are homeless. Click here for a list of all their resource centers in New York City. Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS) CUCS helps homeless people with mental illness and other special needs gain access and maintain permanent housing. The database has over 10,000 housing units. Applicants must be 18 years or older. Housing Works Housing Works provides services for persons living with HIV/AIDS or at risk of HIV/AIDS who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. There are workers available who speak Spanish, French Creole, and Sign Language. Housing + Solutions Provides services to formerly incarcerated women with or without children who are in need of housing and referrals. Requirements includes being at least six months sober, working part time or full time or in a program leading to work. Programs that Can Help You Pay for an Apartment Paying rent in New York City can be rough. So many people want to live here that rents have gotten higher and higher. Luckily, this is one of those times when being a foster youth or a former foster youth can actually make life easier. That’s because the government has decided that you are eligible for special financial assistance to pay for your apartment. ACS Housing Subsidies Those interested in applying for the subsidy should ask their caseworker to contact ACS at 212-341-3548. You are eligible for an ACS housing subsidy if you’re between the ages of 18 and 21 and on trial or final discharge to Independent Living. When you receive a housing subsidy you may be able to qualify for up to $300 per month for a maximum of three years to help you pay your rent. This program also offers a one-time special grant of $1,800-$3,600 to cover moving expenses and broker's fees. Section 8 Vouchers Note: Section 8 rules and availability change often. You must apply for Section 8 through your agency housing liaison. Check with them for current rules. The Section 8 Housing Assistance Program will help you pay your rent if you find a landlord who agrees to accept Section 8 money and an apartment that the city approves. Under Section 8, a percentage of your rent is paid directly to your landlord, while you are responsible for paying the rest. Young people aging out of foster care are generally eligible to receive a Section 8 voucher, as long as you are between the ages of 18 and 24, and earn less than $21,000 a year. You can apply for the voucher up to eight months before you leave care, or within two years after leaving care. The Section 8 program has various rules, and they change from time to time. However, in a typical Section 8 set up you are responsible for paying 30% of your income (click here for the current Section 8 information). Your situation may be different so you must talk with your housing liason to find out the amount of rent that you are responsible for if you have a Section 8 voucher. Important: Just because you are eligible for Section 8 does not mean you will get a voucher or an apartment. Sometimes the government runs out of vouchers. Other times, people get vouchers, but cannot find apartments to rent, so they cannot use the voucher. To summarize: To get Section 8 benefits, 1) you have to qualify; 2) there have to be enough vouchers to go around; and 3) you have to find a landlord who will accept your voucher. Section 8 is a great benefit, but it’s not guaranteed. The ACS Office of Housing Support Services can help you with Section 8. For example, they have a Realtor Database with names of real estate agents that specialize in helping people locate Section 8 apartments. Emergency Housing Resources The New York City Human Resource Administration If you find yourself in a financial crisis and are unable to pay your rent (or cover the rent, security deposit and broker’s fee for a new apartment), New York’s Human Resource Administration may be able to provide you with assistance. In emergency situations, HRA provides no-interest loans that cover one month’s rent (or rent, security deposit, and broker’s fee for a new apartment). You will need to pay the money back steadily over one to two years, and it is important to take this into account when you make a decision whether to accept the loan. But it is also a good resource to know about if you are in a temporary financial crisis. Among HRA’s requirements is that you currently have a steady source of income, that the lease to the apartment is in your name, and that the apartment is affordable given your income. To see if you are eligible for an emergency “one-shot deal,” call 1-877-472-8411. Press "Explain your housing situation." If you are eligible, you will need to go to a public assistance office to apply for the loan. Public HousingNote: You must apply for public housing through your agency housing liaison. Check with them for current rules. Youth in care have priority to receive public housing. Public housing means projects run by the New York City Housing Authority. As you probably already know, these projects range widely in their size, location, safety, and general desirability. To obtain an application form for Public Housing, apply to the Application Information Section, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), at the offices listed below. If you want to live in public housing, talk to an expert at your agency to learn more about what you should do and what your options are. Manhattan Bronx Brooklyn Public Housing for People with AIDS Persons with verified AIDS can call 212-971-0626 for further information on housing or other services. Supportive Housing Programs for Young People Who Have Aged Out of Care
Almost all teens want to go out on their own. They want to get their own apartment or go to college (or maybe run away with Prince Charming). Yet living on your own is serious. If you’re unprepared, going out on your own can cause more harm than good. That’s why some organizations decided to create supportive housing just for young people leaving foster care. OK, we know what some of you are thinking: once you leave care, you don’t want to have anything to do with the foster care system or anyone in it ever again, let alone live in a whole apartment complex of former foster youth. But the truth is for most 21-year-olds, being totally on your own for the first time is hard. The programs listed below let you get used to independence living in affordable apartments (often cheaper than anything else you can find around the city). At the same time, they offer supportive services to help you succeed, including job counseling, health care, and mental health care. They can also help you find an apartment when you decide you’re ready to take the next step and be completely on your own. Some of these programs have open houses so that you can get a feel of the place yourself. You can also call and ask to make an appointment for a tour. The biggest problem is that it can take several months to over a year to be accepted into some of the apartment programs. Also, the programs can’t tell you exactly how long you’re going to have to wait. That’s because rooms open up only as residents move out. If you are interested in living in one of these supportive housing units, it is important to apply a year or more before you want to move in. If you think you might be interested but are not sure, there’s nothing to lose by applying. That gets you on the waiting list. Schafer Hall Schafer Hall combines studio apartments with services including employment and educational support and medical and mental health referrals. If you’re 18-23, you must be on trial or final discharge, and must also have a job. Unless you have enough income, you’ll have to show proof of your eligibility for an ACS housing subsidy. Call for more info. The Foyer The Foyer has apartments for 40 young people including those who have aged out of care as well as young people in SILP placements, for up to 24 months. Services range from job training to housing placement services. It it run by Good Shepherd Services and Common Ground. Edwin Gould Academy Residence A permanent residence for young people, ages 18-25, who have aged out of foster care or the juvenile justice system. There are 36 studios for single individuals and 15 one-bedroom apartments for single individuals or single parents with one child. Working applicants only. Those interested in applying must provide a completed application, an up-to-date psychiatric or psycho-social evaluation, and employer verification. Apartments range in price from about $400 to $600 per month. The Dorothy Day Apartments A supportive housing program with five studio apartments for young people who have been discharged from foster care, have a mental health diagnosis, and who do not have children. Eligibility includes having a Section 8 voucher and an income of less than $13,200 per year. Emergency and Supportive Housing Programs if You Have Left Care and Are Under 21If you signed yourself out of foster care before your 21st birthday and are now struggling to find a place to live, you should be able to return to your agency if you are still under 21. Talk to your agency and fight to get back into care if that’s what you think is best for you. If you cannot or do not want to return to foster care, and are now struggling to find a place, there are several programs throughout the city that serve youth 18-21 who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless. These programs usually provide housing for 12 to 18 months, and they will also help you figure out what you need to become more stable in your housing situation once you leave their program. Covenant House SCO/ Independence Inns Green Chimneys Other Supportive Housing Programs Providence House (Transitional Housing Program) A transitional housing program housing homeless and abused women and children. Locations include Brooklyn, Queens, and Westchester County. Residents are helped in searching for permanent housing and receive assistance in obtaining entitlements, life skills, employment, and computer and educational training. Applicants must be referred by the New York City or Westchester County Department of Homeless Services. Common Ground Community Housing is provided to low-income working people, formerly homeless, etc. Must be over 18 years of age to apply. Call Mon-Fri. between 9am – 5pm. Women In Need, Inc (WIN) WIN provides shelter for homeless women with children. Must be referred by the City’s Emergency Assistance Unit at 718-402-6474 or the Department of Homeless Services Emergency Information Line at 800-994-6494. New York City Homeless Shelters NYC shelters provide three hot meals a day, beds, showers, and clothing for men (age 21 and over) and women (age 18 and over) who are in need of emergency shelter. For further assistance contact the Department of Homeless Services Emergency Information Line at 800-994-6494, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. 30th St. Shelter This site offers shelter for single men 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Women have a choice of going to one of three intake centers also available on a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week basis. Franklin Women’s Shelter Jamaica Armory Brooklyn Women’s Shelter Families with Children under 21 or Single Pregnant Women can come 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to Prevention Assistance & Temporary Housing (PATH) office, 346 Powers Ave., Bronx. |
Supervised Independent Living Programs (SILPs)