Understanding the Connections Between Family Homelessness and TANF: Tips for Funders
Today, in every state, a family that relies entirely on TANF for income cannot cover the cost of fair market rent. Funders can play an important role in addressing the gaps.
Read morePennsylvania TANF
Most states determine TANF payment rates solely through family composition. However, seven U.S. states use both location and family composition to determine TANF payment rates. These states include California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The following outlines the location variances in Pennsylvania for a family of three:
| Counties | Maximum TANF Payment |
| Bucks, Chester, Lancaster, Montgomery and Pike | $421.00 |
| Adams, Allegheny, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Butler, Centre, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Lackawanna, Lebanon, Lehigh, Lazeme, Lycoming, Monroe, Montour, Northampton, Philadelphia, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union, Warren, Wayne. Westmoreland, Wyoming and York | $403.00 |
| Beaver, Cameron, Carbon, Clinton, Elk, Franklin, Indiana, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Perry, Potter, Snyder, Tioga, Venago and washington | $393.00 |
| Armstrong, Bedford, Cambria, Clarion, Clearfield, Fayette, Forest, Fulton, Greene, Huntington, Jefferson, Juniata, Northumberland, Schuylikill and Somerset | $365.00 |
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Illinois TANF
Most states determine TANF payment rates solely through family composition. However, seven U.S. states use both location and family composition to determine TANF payment rates. These states include California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The following outlines the location variances in Illinois for a family of three:
Counties |
Maximum TANF Payment |
| Boone, Champaign, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Ogle, Whiteside,Winnebago, Woodford | $432.00 |
| Adams, Bureau, Carroll, Clinton, Coles, DeWitt, Douglas, Effingham, Ford, Fulton, Grundy, JoDaviess, Knox, LaSalle, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, McLean, McDonough, Mercer, Monroe, Morgan, Moultrie, Peoria, Piatt, Putnam, Rock Island, Sangamon, St. Clair, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Will | $417.00 |
| Alexander, Bond, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Christian, Clark, Clay, Crawford, Cumberland, Edgar, Edwards, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Johnson, Lawrence, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Massac, Menard, Montgomery, Perry, Pike, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, Saline, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Union, Washington, Wayne, White, Williamson | $399.00 |
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Virginia TANF
Most states determine TANF payment rates solely through family composition. However, seven U.S. states use both location and family composition to determine TANF payment rates. These states include California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The following outlines the location variances in Virginia for a family of three:
Counties |
Maximum TANF Payment |
| Accomack, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Essex, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick, Giles, Gloucester, Goochland, Grayson, Greene, Greensville, Halifax, Hanover, Henry, Highland, Isle of Wight, James City, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Lee, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Nelson, New Kent, Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Richmond, Rockbridge, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry, Sussex, Tazewell, Washington, Westmoreland, Wise and Wythe | $292.00 |
| Albemarle, Chesterfield, Henrico, Loudoun, Roanoke, Rockingham and Warren | $320.00 |
| Arlington, Augusta, Fairfax, Montgomery, Prince William and York | $389.00 |
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California TANF
Most states determine TANF payment rates solely through family composition. However, seven U.S. states use both location and family composition to determine TANF payment rates. These states include California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The following outlines the location variances in California for a family of three:
Counties |
Maximum TANF Payment |
| Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, Monterey, Napa, Orange, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma and Ventura | $638.00 |
| All other counties | $608.00 |
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TANF: A Role for Funders
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Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) serves very few poor families — only one in four families living in poverty. Furthermore, TANF payments are very low and their value has eroded over time as most states have not adjusted TANF payments to account for inflation.
Today, in every state, a family that relies entirely on TANF for income cannot cover the cost of fair market rent. Often public policies, government programs, research and advocacy focused on family homelessness are not connected with policies, programs, research and advocacy focused on welfare to work programs or poverty.
Funders can, however, play an important role in addressing the gap between state TANF benefits and Fair Market Rents, as well as strengthening the relationship between state TANF programs and housing programs.
Now is the time to build coalitions linking advocates working to end homelessness with advocates working to strengthen the safety net TANF payments and other benefits can provide for needy families.
What can funders do?
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Educate state policymakers and the public about the connections between family homelessness, housing costs, and inadequate TANF benefits for families with children
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Provide meeting space, host forums, and offer support to facilitate public education and coalition building to build shared knowledge and effective advocacy for changes in TANF policies that can contribute to solutions to family homelessness
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Provide challenge grants to match investments of TANF funding in programs designed to help prevent and end family homelessness, including rapid re-housing, housing stabilization supports, and subsidized jobs
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Support research and evaluation to measure the impact of TANF-funded programs that provide assistance tailored to the needs of homeless families
What state-level changes to TANF can funders support?
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Increase TANF payments to recover the lost value and to cover the cost of rental housing and protect families from homelessness. States should also establish cost of living adjustments based on inflation so benefits do not lose their value
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Use TANF funds to provide rapid re-housing assistance and housing stabilization support services for families experiencing homelessness
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Reduce or remove administrative barriers and modify work participation requirements and other program rules that can result in excluding the most vulnerable families from TANF programs
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Create or expand subsidized and transitional jobs that provide meaningful opportunities for work and the development of skills and experience that can lead to better employment opportunities
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Provide more flexible work supports that are tailored to the needs of families experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including childcare, transportation assistance, and services to address employment barriers related to limited education and the effects of trauma, mental health, and substance use disorders
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Strengthen the connections among welfare-to-work, job training and homeless assistance programs to pursue shared goals and strategies and to facilitate linkages for families in need
To learn more about TANF policies and why the safety net for poor families has weakened in recent years, we recommend:
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration’s TANF Information Memorandum
- TANF Cash Benefits Continued To Lose Value in 2013
- TANF Emerging from the Downturn a Weaker Safety Net: State-By-State Fact Sheets
- TANF Emerging from the Downturn a Weaker Safety Net
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Connecticut TANF
Most states determine TANF payment rates solely through family composition. However, seven U.S. states use both location and family composition to determine TANF payment rates. These states include California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The following outlines the location variances in California for a family of three:
Counties |
Maximum TANF Payment |
| Bethel, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Danbury, Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Norwalk, Redding, Ridgefield, Roxbury, Sherman, Stamford, Washington, Weston, Westport, and Wilton | $674.00 |
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Andover, Ashford, Avon, Berlin, Bethany, Bloomfield, Bolton, Bozrah, Branford, Bridgeport, Bristol, Brooklyn, Burlington, Canterbury, Canton, Chaplin, Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Columbia, Coventry, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Granby, East Haddam, East Hampton, East Hartford, East Haven, East Lyme, East Windsor, Eastford, Easton, Ellington, Enfield, Essex, Fairfield, Farmington, Franklyn, Glastonbury, Granby, Griswold, Groton, Guilford, Haddam, Hamden, Hampton, Hartford, Hebron, Killingly, Killingworth, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Lyme, Madison, Manchester, Mansfield, Marlborough, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown, Milford, Monroe, Montville, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Newington, North Branford, North Haven, North Stonington, Norwich, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Orange, Plainfield, Plainville, Plymouth, Pomfret, Portland, Preston, Putnam, Rocky Hill, Salem, Scotland, Shelton, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Southington, Sprague, Stafford, Sterling, Stonington, Stratford, Suffield, Thompson, Tolland, Trumbull, Union ,Vernon, Voluntown, Wallingford, Waterford, West Hartford, West Haven, Westbrook, Wethersfield, Willington, Windsor, Windsor Locks, Woodbridge, and Woodstock |
$576.00 |
| Ansonia, Barkhamsted, Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Canaan, Cheshire, Colebrook, Cornwall, Derby, Goshen, Hartland, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Middlebury, Morris, Naugatuck, New Hartford, Norfolk, North Canaan, Oxford, Prospect, Salisbury, Seymour, Sharon, Southbury, Thomaston, Torrington, Warren, Waterbury, Watertown, Winchester, Wolcott, and Woodbury | $568.00 |
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Kansas TANF
Most states determine TANF payment rates solely through family composition. However, seven U.S. states use both location and family composition to determine TANF payment rates. These states include California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The following outlines the location variances in Kansas for a family of three:
Counties |
Maximum TANF Payment |
| Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Dickinson, Doniphan,Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford,Geary, Gove, Graham, Grant, Greeley, Greenwood, Hamilton, Harper, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jewell, Kearny, Kingman, Labette, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Logan, Lyon, McPherson, Marion, Marshall, Meade, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Ness, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rawlins, Republic, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sheridan, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wichita, Wilson and Woodson | $386.00 |
| Franklin, Gray, Kiowa, Morton, Pawnee, Seward and Sherman | $391.00 |
| Butler, Harvey, Jefferson, Leavenworth, McPherson, Miami, Osage, Reno, Rice, Riley, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte | $403.00 |
| Douglas and Johnson | $429.00 |
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New York TANF
Most states determine TANF payment rates solely through family composition. However, seven U.S. states use both location and family composition to determine TANF payment rates. These states include California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The following outlines the location variances in New York for a family of three:
Counties |
Maximum TANF Payment |
| Albany | $668.00 |
| Allegany | $662.00 |
| Broome | $679.00 |
| Cattaraugus | $658.00 |
| Cayuga | $679.00 |
| Chautauqua | $674.00 |
| Chemung | $672.00 |
| Chenango | $653.00 |
| Clinton | $664.00 |
| Columbia | $679.00 |
| Cortland | $670.00 |
| Delaware | $663.00 |
| Dutchess | $801.00 |
| Erie | $690.00 |
| Essex | $657.00 |
| Franklin | $648.00 |
| Fulton | $661.00 |
| Genesee | $683.00 |
| Greene | $670.00 |
| Hamilton | $656.00 |
| Herkimer | $664.00 |
| Jefferson | $665.00 |
| Lewis | $668.00 |
| Livingston | $696.00 |
| Madison | $693.00 |
| Monroe | $732.00 |
| Montgomery | $672.00 |
| Nassau | $834.00 |
| New York | $789.00 |
| Niagara | $683.00 |
| Oneida | $676.00 |
| Onondaga | $692.00 |
| Ontario | $697.00 |
| Orange | $810.00 |
| Orleans | $691.00 |
| Oswego | $689.00 |
| Otsego | $669.00 |
| Putnam | $830.00 |
| Rensselaer | $685.00 |
| Rockland | $823.00 |
| Saratoga | $705.00 |
| Schenectady | $700.00 |
| Schoharie | $675.00 |
| Schuyler | $664.00 |
| Seneca | $677.00 |
| Steuben | $660.00 |
| St. Lawrence | $670.00 |
| Suffolk | $836.00 |
| Sullivan | $686.00 |
| Tioga | $674.00 |
| Tompkins | $706.00 |
| Ulster | $739.00 |
| Warren | $688.00 |
| Washington | $684.00 |
| Wayne | $691.00 |
| Westchester | $815.00 |
| Wyoming | $668.00 |
| Yates | $675.00 |
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Use TANF Payments to Provide Rapid Re-Housing and Emergency Housing Assistance
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Through emergency housing assistance, including rapid re-housing programs, states can use Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to prevent and end homelessness among families. Rapid re-housing programs help families move into housing as quickly as possible after they become homeless, instead of allowing families to spend weeks or months in shelters and transitional programs. These programs also minimize the impact of homelessness on children and provide the stability parents need to find jobs or participate in employment programs.
In 2013, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a memorandum explaining that TANF funds can be used to address the housing-related needs of families who are homeless or precariously housed. Use of TANF funds in this way is consistent with rules on providing benefits and services to needy or eligible families. Families do not need to be receiving TANF cash assistance in order to qualify for housing services.
How can TANF funds be used for housing assistance?
States may adjust cash benefit levels in relation to housing costs.
States can also provide a housing supplement to cash assistance. TANF programs can also provide an array of non-recurrent, short-term benefits and services that are designed to address a specific crisis situation and extend no longer than four months.
For example, TANF may be used for short-term rental or mortgage assistance to prevent eviction or to help a homeless family secure housing. This may include security and utility payments, moving assistance, motel or hotel vouchers, case management services, financial and credit counseling, legal services, housing search and placement services, and related administrative costs.
TANF funds can also support rapid re-housing programs. For example, a partnership between The Road Home and Utah’s Department of Workforce Services provides rapid re-housing assistance combined with employment services to help families with children move into housing quickly. TANF funds provide rental assistance, remove barriers to housing, deliver case management services, and connect families to work supports.
TANF agencies should also be active participants in statewide, regional, and local efforts to prevent and end homelessness, including the Continuum of Care. TANF funds can be used in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s targeted homeless assistance grants program, the Continuum of Care program, and Emergency Solutions Grants program.
To learn more about using TANF funding for housing assistance, visit:
For more information about rapid re-housing, visit:
- United States Interagency Council on Homelessness: Rapid Re-Housing
- Rapid Re-Housing: Successfully Ending Family Homelessness
- Utah’s The Road Home
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