New Jersey’s Keeping Families Together (KFT) program is a supportive housing program that provides subsidized housing and optional, family-driven services to child welfare–involved families experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness. As part of Urban’s evaluation of the program, we conducted semistructured interviews with 15 enrolled families to learn about their experiences in KFT. In this brief, we present findings of program experiences from interviews that emerged across families enrolled in KFT and provide programmatic and policy recommendations based on these findings.

Why This Matters

Learning directly from families enrolled in KFT is an important aspect of evaluating program components and hearing about how families themselves experience the program. Families provide key insights, including opportunities and challenges they faced while in the program, their perspectives on services and housing, and thoughts on moving on. These findings can be used for continued evaluation and to inform program changes and policy recommendations, ultimately contributing to positive outcomes for child welfare–involved families who have experienced housing insecurity or homelessness.

Key Takeaways

• Housing assistance provided through KFT gave families much needed stability, especially when compared with prior living situations.
• Clinical and therapeutic supports were highly valued by parents.
• Families remained concerned about being able to afford housing if their participation in the program ended.
• Recommendations include ensuring families have access to permanent vouchers upon completion of KFT and expanding support and services to assist families in increasing income.