Family Self- Sufficiency program to be implemented in PCHA’s Public Housing communities

PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA – HUD recently awarded the PCHA with funding for a Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Coordinator. This funding will allow for the implementation of the FSS Program in PCHA’s public housing communities. Through the FSS program,  PCHA will work directly with residents to connect them with local education and training opportunities; job placement organizations; and local employers.  Each participating family will sign an FSS Contract of Participation and will identify their goals and the steps necessary to achieve their goals.

The purpose of the program is to encourage innovative strategies that link public housing assistance with other resources to enable participating families to increase income from employment; reduce or substantially eliminate the need for welfare assistance; and make progress toward achieving economic independence and self-sufficiency.

“We’re tremendously excited about the FSS program and the positive impact it will have in assisting our low-income families to become competitive as jobs begin to open up and to assist them in moving up and out of public housing.  For every family that graduates from public housing to affordable housing, an apartment will become available for another family in need,” said Debbie Johnson, PCHA’s executive director.

Regina Booker, director of PCHA’s Resident Services department, where economic self-sufficiency is the ultimate goal for residents, said “the implementation of the FSS program in public housing will help our families claim economic independence by coordinating the resources and tools needed for them to be successful in competing for jobs, and for sustaining employment”.

PCHA is one of 200 public housing authorities across the U.S. to receive this earmarked funding which will help public housing residents find jobs that lead them toward economic independence.  For information on local funding amounts, visit the following website:

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=2010PH-FSSPHAlist.pdf

For more information about the PCHA Resident Services program and Family Self Sufficiency efforts, please click here.