This report includes demographic information, the type of services provided to kinship caregivers, and recommendations for program improvement. For generations, extended families have played significant roles in the rearing of children when parents otherwise cannot. Kinship caregivers provide love and nurturance in a familiar setting as children remain connected to their families. These children live with people they know and trust, reinforcing the child’s sense of cultural identity and positive self-esteem. Children living with kinship caregivers make and sustain extended family connections and continue lifelong family traditions and memories. The extended family are provided opportunities to support the child in building healthy relationships within the family, provide for the child’s safety and well-being, and create a sense of stability in the life of a child.

Sustainable housing strives for diverse, healthy, affordable, socially inclusive, resource-efficient, and culturally sensitive housing. This report’s current state assessment is based on five goals of sustainable housing, derived from sustainability and livability principles: meet demand with adequate housing options; provide sufficient quality of housing and promote healthy housing conditions; secure affordability of housing; conserve natural resources in homes; and maintain valuable cultural and historical character.

The transition strategy presented in this report describes a set of coordinated interventions necessary to create sustainable housing in the Midtown District. The current state of housing in the District is not sustainable for housing options and affordability. There is a clear need for effective interventions to achieve a sustainable state of housing in the future.

The transition strategy in this report is a set of coordinated interventions necessary to create sustainable green systems in the Midtown District. Sustainable green systems strive for fully functional stormwater, biodiversity, and resource management practices, as well as sustainable levels of thermal comfort, energy efficiency, and access to green space. The assessment of green systems indicates concern for high temperatures, low vegetation, and insufficient stormwater management. This strategy is based on achieving four specific goals of sustainable green systems, derived from sustainability and livability principles (HUD, 2009). Goal 1. Reduce stormwater loads and harvest water onsite; Goal 2. Reduce potable water consumption; Goal 3. Reduce daytime temperatures; Goal 4. Increase green systems benefits to health, mobility, and the economy.