HUD's Housing Choice Voucher Family Self-Sufficiency Program (HCV/FSS) supports public housing agencies (PHAs) to retain or hire family self-sufficiency coordinators. These coordinators in turn link adults in the HCV program with welfare agencies, schools, businesses and other local partners to develop the skills and experience to enable them to obtain jobs that pay a living wage. The local organizations typically provide participating individuals job training, childcare, counseling, transportation, job placement and homeownership counseling.
Housing agencies in Iowa received the following grants:
|
IOWA |
|
|
|
|
Central Iowa Regional Housing Authority |
$57,529 |
|
|
City of Cedar Rapids |
$138,000 |
|
|
City of Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency |
$132,973 |
|
|
City of Dubuque |
$63,478 |
|
|
City of Sioux City Housing Authority |
$138,000 |
|
|
Eastern Iowa Regional Housing Authority |
$139,940 |
|
|
Iowa City Housing Authority |
$121,721 |
|
|
Mid Iowa Regional Housing Authority |
$23,528 |
|
|
Municipal Housing Agency of Council Bluffs, IA |
$48,676 |
|
|
Municipal Housing Agency of the City of Fort Dodge |
$102,766 |
|
|
Muscatine, City of |
$55,309 |
|
|
Northeast Nebraska Joint HA |
$40,756 |
|
|
Region XII Regional Housing Authority |
$45,000 |
|
|
Southern Iowa Regional Housing Authority |
$43,850 |
|
Iowa Total: |
|
$1,151,526 |
Participants in the HCV-FSS program sign a contract that requires the head of the household will get a job and the family will no longer receive welfare assistance at the end of the five-year term. As the family's income rises, a portion of that increased income is deposited in an interest-bearing escrow account. If the family completes its FSS contract, the family receives the escrow funds that it can use for any purpose, including a down payment on a home, paying educational expenses, starting a business or paying back debts.
HUD's Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Program is a long-standing resource for increasing economic security and self-sufficiency among participants. HUD issued a new report earlier this year
that evaluated the effectiveness of the FSS Program. Conducted from 2005 to 2009, the study shows the financial benefits are substantial for participants who complete the program. This study is the second of a three-part series by HUD that evaluate the effects of the FSS program. The first study found individuals who participated in the FSS program fared better financially than those who did not enroll in the program. HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) will launch the third and final installment to complete the series this year.
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