Here's some of the latest public policy news on low-income children, youth and families:

Last week, the Coalition for the Homeless released a policy brief that takes a critical look at former Mayor Bloomberg’s Advantage rent subsidy program, which ended in early 2011. The report finds that nearly half of families whose Advantage Program subsidies ran out returned to the shelter system. The cost to taxpayers of families returning to shelter is nearly $287 million. Read the full report here.

The Chronicle of Social Change examined notable developments in child welfare and juvenile justice in 2014, including the growing number of states keeping juvenile delinquents (youth 17 and younger) out of adult court, and proposed changes to federal support for state and local child welfare services. Read the full article here.

Bloomberg Businessweek examines Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposal to use a portion of New York City Pension funds for affordable housing. According to the de Blasio’s plan, $1 billion in pension funds would be directed towards housing, resulting in an additional 11,000 units over eight years. Critics of this approach cite competition from banks and declining federal funds for housing subsidies as key hurdles the de Blasio administration will have to overcome. Read the full article here.

Calendar

January 16 - The Center for New York City Affairs will host “Taking the Fear Out of Financial Aid: Making Higher Ed Easier to Achieve.” The Center will also release the latest edition of its “FAFSA: How-To Guide for High School Students.” The event will include a keynote by Bridget Terry Long and a discussion about how to improve college affordability for the next generation of students. For more details and to register, click here.