The HUD Louisville Office recently presented awards for excellence in management to several housing agencies at the annual Kentucky Housing Association conference held in Louisville, Kentucky.

Staff of the Housing Authority of Covington were presented the award by HUD Louisville Public Housing Director Don Clem and HUD Public Housing Revitalization Specialist Barbara Finch.

One of the outstanding agencies, the Housing Authority of Covington, was honored with the Resident Initiative Program of the Year Award for its Get Learning and Start Succeeding (GLASS) program. GLASS is targeted to young adults who are in danger of dropping out of school, have already dropped out and do not have a GED, or who have graduated and earned their GED but are unemployed. The goal is to eliminate barriers to success, encourage education, set attainable goals and move participants into post-secondary education and/or employment.

There are two separate tracks to the GLASS program. The first track focuses on young adults who have already dropped out of school and who are unemployed. First track participants attend the Ready-to-Work program, which is nine months in length. However, participants can remain in the program until they obtain a GED and progress to post secondary education or employment. Follow-up continues for six months to one year.

The second track focuses on teens in the eighth and ninth grades that are in danger of dropping out of school. Second track participants have a case manager, who has been contracted by the housing authority, to provide direct, ongoing support to at-risk students.

While the GLASS program is still in its infancy, the positive impact is already being experienced among participants.