Public Housing and Section 8 Voucher Family Self-Sufficiency Program

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

Yuma County Housing Department is nominating its Public Housing (PH) and Section 8 Voucher Family Self-Sufficiency Program to the 2017 NACO Achievement Awards under the “Community and Economic Development” category. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program was created and funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist low income families achieve economic self-sufficiency. Eligible families are those who are already in the Low Rent Public Housing (PH) and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs and/or the existing waiting list, all of which are managed by the Yuma County Housing Department (YCHD). The FSS program is designed to insure that participants can improve their knowledge, skills and employability through the combined efforts of local government and public and private agencies- committed to support very low income families to become self-sufficient. The program gives the participants a pathway to responsibility while slowly reducing their benefits to the point where they no longer need public assistance. To achieve these objectives, the Yuma County Housing Authority (YCHD) will assist families make progress toward economic security by combining: (1) stable affordable housing, (2) service coordination to help families set goals and overcome barriers to self-sufficiency, and (3) an asset-building tool in the form of an escrow account that grows as families’ earnings increase. YCHD's goal is to have 250 participants enrolled in the Family Self-Sufficiency program and to graduate five (5) participants per year. To date the FSS program has a total of 246 participants. Of the 166 active FSS-HCV participants, 80% are employed, going to college, going to ESL classes, participating in on-job training or obtaining a High School Diploma Equivalency (GED). Of the 80 active FSS-PH participants, 76% are employed, going to college, going to ESL classes, on a job training, or obtaining a GED. Since 2005, 81 participants successfully graduated from FSS program and completed goals with an average escrow at graduation of $6,074. Most impressive is that 84% of program graduates went on to purchase a home within one year after graduation and the remaining 16% graduated holding college degree or certification.