Local News Release

HUD AWARDS $871,536 IN GRANTS TO HELP LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN GEORGIA GET JOB TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT

ATLANTA - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Southeast Regional Director Burt Wilkerson recognized the 10 public housing agencies and housing choice administrators in Georgia that received $871,536 in grants to provide low-income people with the necessary job training to put them on a path toward self-sufficiency at the Georgia Capitol. Wilkerson was joined by Georgia Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Mike Beatty in applauding the grant recipients.

Funded through HUD's Housing Choice Voucher Family Self-Sufficiency Program (HCV/FSS), these grants allow public housing agencies (PHAs) to work with welfare agencies, schools, businesses, and other local partners to develop a comprehensive program to help participating individuals develop the skills and experience to enable them to obtain jobs that pay a living wage.

The Family Self-sufficiency (FSS) program was started in 1990 and since its inception it has dramatically impacted the lives of low income families. Wilkerson said, “FSS has been the catalyst for families to transition from renters to homeowners and from the unemployed to gainful workers. This program demonstrates how effective partnerships with the government, nonprofit and the private sector can garner positive results in our communities.”

PHAs use the funding to hire family self-sufficiency coordinators to link adults in the Housing Choice Voucher program (formerly Section 8) to local organizations that provide job training, childcare, counseling, transportation and job placement. PHAs can also hire homeownership coordinators to help families get homeownership counseling.

Participants in the HCV/FSS program sign a contract that stipulates 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.

Commissioner Beatty acknowledged the accomplishment of Ms. Tina Clapp, a mother of four who received a college degree and bought a home as a result of her participation in FSS. .He said, “You really do not get the real significance of this program until you see examples like Ms. Clapp.”

Below is a list of local housing authorities receiving funding:

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HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development and enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.