West Clermont board reviews MOU to reserve 25 housing vouchers for families experiencing homelessness

The West Clermont Local School District board reviewed a memorandum of understanding with the Metropolitan Housing Authority that would reserve 25 housing vouchers for district families referred through schools.

District staff said the vouchers are intended to give families identified via school referrals higher placement priority because housing resources are limited. The district’s homeless liaison described a referral process that relies on school staff identifying potential McKinney-Vento cases and bringing them to the liaison’s attention for eligibility review under the federal McKinney‑Vento program.

Board members asked how a family qualifies for the priority voucher; staff replied the primary qualifier is homelessness and explained that teachers or principals typically bring cases forward. Staff said the district keeps a confidential list of students experiencing homelessness in its student-information system to coordinate supports and services.

The presentation emphasized the MOU’s role in stabilizing housing for students in situations that disrupt school attendance and transportation. No formal vote on the MOU was recorded in the meeting minutes during the Aug. 4 session; the board discussed questions and accepted staff’s explanations of referral pathways and privacy safeguards.

Next steps: staff indicated they will proceed with the MOU process and continue to work with the Metropolitan Housing Authority to operationalize referrals and placement priority.