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It is always a pleasure to have New Jersey’s successful initiatives highlighted in a national magazine. Thus it was with real pleasure to read “Foster Kids No More
The youth housing revolution takes off” in the May 2008 issue of Affordable Housing Finance. The article mentions the first two permanent housing for aging out youth projects in new Jersey - Life Link Homes developed by Robins’ Nest and Camden DREAMS by the Center for Family Services.

The article notes “From coast to coast, dozens of new communities like Life Link are being built to provide supportive housing to kids aging out of foster care, usually when they turn 18. A few years ago, these communities were rare, but now several states have put funds behind the developments. At the same time, the oldest projects have been operating long enough to show developers planning new ones how it’s done and what to watch out for.” According to the Government Accountability Office “Between 25 percent and 40 percent of the young people who leave foster care become homeless within a year”.

To read the full article click here.

The following is the opening of the article.

Foster Kids No More: The youth housing revolution takes off

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE - May 2008

BY BENDIX ANDERSON

GRASSBORO, N.J. — Fire trucks have been called to the Life Link Homes here seven times since construction finished last October. No one has been hurt, and the fires caused no damage to Life Link’s 30 apartments, which provide permanent housing with services to young people just out of foster care. The tenants are old enough to sign apartment leases, but for the most part, they have little cooking experience. So they regularly set off smoke detectors with minor accidental fires, which automatically summon the firefighters.

“Serving aging-out youth can be challenging,” said Ruth London, chief operating officer of Robins’ Nest, Inc., a nonprofit developer and service provider that helps more than 4,500 children and young adults a year in New Jersey’s foster care system. “It can also be tremendously rewarding.”

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Tags: Aging-Out-Youth, Camden DREAMS, Ending Homelessness, Robins-Nest, Supportive Housing

On October 26, 2007, Robins’ Nest opened the last twenty units of permanent, affordable housing in Life Link Homes. Life Link Homes is a permanent, affordable and supportive housing development sponsored by Robins’ Nest, Inc. Now that it is completed, this project provides thirty (30) permanent, affordable and supportive housing units three buildings.  Each building  consists of ten (10) efficiency apartments, each with it’s own kitchenette and bathroom.  Additionally, each building will have common areas as well as a manager’s apartment.  The project will provide housing for young adults aging out of the foster care system.

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Life Link Homes is a permanent, affordable and supportive housing development sponsored by Robins’ Nest, Inc. When complete, this project will provide thirty (30) permanent, affordable and supportive housing units three buildings.  Each building will consist of ten (10) efficiency apartments, each with it’s own kitchenette and bathroom.  Additionally, each building will have common areas as well as a manager’s apartment.  The project will provide housing for young adults aging out of the foster care system.

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