HUD AWARDS ALABAMA $240,000 TO PROMOTE JOBS, SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS

ATLANTA - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $240,000 to Opelika Housing Authority. These grants are part of $31 million awarded nationally today to public housing authorities, resident associations and non-profit organizations across the U.S. to help public housing residents connect to services available in the community to find employment to increase their economic independence. The funding will also link
the elderly and people with disabilities with supportive services that allow them to maintain independent living and age-in-place. Read more about local impact of HUD's grant funding on HUD's website.

"We need to take a wider view of the needs of public housing residents beyond just housing if we're to be true to
the goal of promoting self sufficiency," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "The caseworkers that housing
authorities can hire or keep on staff help thousands of public housing residents connect to opportunities to obtain jobs or increase their incomes that lead to self-sufficiency and improve quality of life."

"When we look at the real value of this funding it goes to the very corps of allowing our partner local housing
agencies to help provide families with more than just affordable housing, but also the resources that will help them obtain jobs and achieve their goals," said HUD Region IV Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr.

HUD's Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) - Service Coordinators Program helps public housing authorities (PHAs), resident associations or non-profit organizations to hire or retain service coordinator who works 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. For an elderly or disabled resident, the service coordinator arranges supportive services that allow them to maintain their independent lifestyle.

The purpose of HUD's ROSS - Service Coordinators Program 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.

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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.