Discover the Facts About HUD’s Family SelfSufficiency Program
The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program is administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to encourage families receiving HUD-funded rental assistance to boost their wages and savings [1]. Learn more about this program through onsite training workshops, HUD training webinars, or through this article. FSS offers two primary characteristics to accomplish this: case management and financial coaching services, as well as a financial incentive. Participants work with an FSS service coordinator to determine their financial and employment-related goals, such as education or training, and can take advantage of a variety of support services, such as child care or credit repair, to help them reach their objectives. A family with better earnings and higher rent receives higher payments in an escrow account, allowing them to acquire assets, as part of the financial incentive. FSS membership is voluntary and normally lasts up to five years, with the possibility of a seven-year extension. FSS differs from many other government program aimed at encouraging low-income people to work because participation is voluntary. It encourages families to pursue long-term higher
earnings through education and training, and it allows them to save money at no additional cost. These advantages, when paired with the residential stability that comes with receiving government rental assistance, give participating families more chances to enhance their long-term financial well-being. The FSS program is gaining a reputation for success. Tracing the History of Family Self-Sufficiency Program Based on a proposal from the George H. W. Bus, Congress approved the FSS programme in 1990. Families were not compelled to give up their rental aid when they met their FSS goals, as Congress clarified in 1992. Following the passage of these legislative changes, HUD began to work on improving programme efficacy to entice public housing organisations (PHAs) to develop FSS programmes. It published a new guidebook and training materials, offered technical help, and created a performance measuring system that highlighted increased wages, graduation rates, and enrollments. HUD began focusing on improving program efficacy after these legislative amendments were implemented. It published a new guidebook and training materials, offered technical help, and created a performance measuring system that highlighted increased wages, graduation rates, and enrollments [2]. Despite the fact that Congress barred HUD from using performance factors to decide FSS awards in 2020, the focus on successful implementation demonstrates bipartisan interest in the FSS program’s potential impact [3]. Types of Housing Providers Eligible to Participate in FSS
Any public housing agency or multi-family property owner with a Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance contract with HUD that chooses to offer an FSS program to families receiving HUD rental assistance may do so, subject to HUD approval [4]. To gain HUD approval, the entity must share an action plan with HUD explaining the essential policies and procedures it plans to follow in its FSS program. Households in both public housing and HCV program may be eligible to enroll in FSS through public housing organizations that administer both program [5].PBRA renters can only participate in FSS if the private owners of the properties where they live (“PBRA owners”) run their own FSS program until HUD adopts the 2018 statutory revisions.