HUD AWARDS $3.7 MILLION TO PROMOTE JOBS, SELF-SUFFICIENCY & INDEPENDENT LIVING FOR PUBLIC & ASSISTED HOUSING RESIDENTS IN ALASKA, IDAHO, OREGON & WASHINGTON STATE
HUD's Donovan says funds help "open doors" to jobs & opportunities for residents

SEATTLE - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today competitively awarded $3,749,307
in grants to help residents of 14 public housing authorities and 5 privately-owned, HUD-assisted rental complexes and assisted housing residents in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington state find employment; connect with needed services; and help the elderly and people with disabilities maintain independent living. They also allows the grantees
to retain or hire "service coordinators" or case workers to work directly with these HUD-assisted families to connect them to the supportive services that meet their individual needs.

The $95 million in funds were awarded nationwide today through three HUD programs - the Resident Opportunities
and Self Sufficiency - Service Coordinators Program (ROSS-SC) Program, the Public Housing - Family Self-Sufficiency Program (PH-FSS) and the Multifamily Housing Service Coordinator Program (MHSC).

"Providing housing assistance alone is often not enough to help individuals increase their independence," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "The service coordinators funded through these programs open doors that help HUD-assisted families find jobs, access services and assist the elderly and disabled to continue living as independently as possible in their homes."

"These funds provide a helping hand to residents of public and assisted housing who are trying to get a job and become independent," said HUD Northwest Regional Administrator Mary McBride. "Like anyone, these residents dream of being self-sufficient and these programs have proven themselves more than capable of helping make that dream come true."

Northwest organizations receiving funds today include:

The ROSS-SC and PH-FSS programs allow grantees across the U.S. hire or retain service coordinators to work
directly with residents to assess their needs to connect them with education, job training and placement programs and/or computer and financial literacy services available in their community to promote self-sufficiency. Only public housing authorities are eligible for PH-FSS grants. ROSS-SC grants can be awarded to public housing authorities, resident associations and non-profit organizations. Grantees that receive ROSS-SC grants can also use the funding
for this purpose, which allows the elderly or persons with disabilities who live in public housing to maintain their independent lifestyle.

In a similar fashion, the MHSC program provides funding to owners of private housing developments under contract from HUD to house low-income individuals. These owners, or their management companies, hire or contract service coordinators with backgrounds in providing social services, especially to the elderly and people with disabilities, to assist their residents with special needs.

The purpose of the ROSS-SC and PH-FSS programs is to encourage local, innovative strategies that link public housing assistance with public and private resources to enable participating families to increase earned income; reduce or eliminate the need for welfare assistance; and make progress toward achieving economic independence
and housing self-sufficiency.

Public housing residents who participate in the PH-FSS program sign a contract with the housing authority, which outlines their responsibilities towards completion of training and employment objectives over a five-year period. For those families receiving welfare assistance, the housing authority must establish an interim goal that the participating family be independent from welfare assistance prior to the expiration of the contract. During their participation, residents may create an escrow account funded with their increasing income, which they may use in a variety of ways, including continuing their education or making major purchase.

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 remain and 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.

The MFSC program allows multifamily housing owners to assist elderly individuals and nonelderly people with
disabilities living in HUD-assisted housing and in the surrounding area to obtain needed supportive services from the community, to enable them to continue living independently. The grants are awarded for an initial three-year period
to eligible owners of multifamily housing for the elderly or disabled, to enable them to hire and support a service coordinator. The funds cover such costs as salary, fringe benefits, quality assurance, training, office space, equipment, and other related administrative expenses. A report HUD released in 2009 noted that aging in place reduces rates of premature institutionalization for low-income elderly residents, thus reducing the costs borne by taxpayers.

###

HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on Twitter at @HUDnews or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.