Residents Complete FSS Program
HUD AWARDS OVER $60,000 TO HELP PERSON CO. FAMILIES REACH SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Federal funding to support education and employment among HUD-assisted families
WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson awarded $62,975 to the Roxboro Housing Authority last week. This grant was part of $74 million awarded to hundreds of public housing authorities across the country to continue helping public housing residents participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program and/or reside in public housing to increase their earned income and reduce their dependency on public assistance and rental subsidies.
The grants renew HUD’s support of 688 public housing authorities through the Department’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS)) program. HUD’s FSS program helps local public housing authorities hire service coordinators who work directly with residents to connect them with programs and services that already exist in the local community. The FSS program encourages innovative strategies that link housing assistance with a broad spectrum of services that will enable participating families to find jobs, increase earned income, reduce or eliminate the need for rental and/or welfare assistance, and make progress toward achieving economic independence and housing self-sufficiency.
“One of the most important things we can do as public servants is to help HUD-assisted families achieve their dreams,” said Secretary Carson. “Working with our local partners, HUD is connecting families to educational opportunities, job training, childcare and other resources that allow them to get higher paying jobs and, ultimately, become self-sufficient.”
FSS participants sign a five-year contract that requires the head of the household to obtain employment and that no member of the household will receive certain types of public assistance at the end of the five-year term. These families have an interest-bearing escrow account established for them. The amount credited to the family's escrow account is based on increases in the family's earned income during the term of the FSS contract. If the family successfully completes its FSS contract, the family receives the escrow funds that it can use for any purpose, including debt reduction to improve credit scores, educational expenses, or a down payment on a home.
Roxboro Housing Authority awarded FSS participant Wendy Snowden with $10,500 in escrow funds in June 2018. RHA awarded over $7,000 to FSS participant Candis Barrett in Nov. 2018. Both Snowden and Barrett moved their families into their first home. The money was used for a down payment.
“We are proud of the work that our coordinator has done for PHA residents in Roxboro,” said Executive Director Felts Lewis of Larry Mayfield. “He uses his unique ability to connect with key business and non-profit stakeholders in the community to make ground-breaking things happen regarding family self-sufficiency. This grant will ensure this important work continues for some of our most vulnerable citizens in Person County.”
The average household income of FSS participants nearly tripled during their time in the program, from $10,000 at the time of entry to more than $27,000 upon program completion.