The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $75 million in grants to help connect public and assisted housing residents with key resources and asset-building opportunities. The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program – available to public housing and housing choice voucher residents – allows public housing authorities to hire or retain 1500 service coordinators that will work directly with residents to help them locate supportive services that meet their individual needs. Connecting residents with services such as childcare, job training, counseling, transportation, financial literacy and other opportunities, FSS aims to help residents find employment, increase their income, ultimately achieve economic independence.
Participants in the FSS program sign a five-year contract requiring the head of the household to obtain employment and no longer receive welfare assistance at the completion of the program. As a family’s income increases throughout the program, a portion of their income is deposited into an escrow account, which the family has access to upon successfully completing the program. According to HUD, an FSS evaluation conducted from 2005 to 2009 demonstrates that FSS-participating families fare better financially compared to those that did not participate.
For more information about the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, please click here.
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