Hollybrook Homes A path to Self-Sufficiency in Jacksonville, Florida

Part of the HUD team celebrating Hollybrook Homes self-sufficiency plan. From left, Chris Griffin, Regional Administrator Denise Cleveland-Leggett, Ingrid Osborn, Yvonne Coffman and Michael Milner.

HUD Regional Administrator Denise Cleveland-Leggett joined Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, local elected officials, community leaders and tenants of Hollybrook Homes to celebrate the October 19, 2018 announcement of their approved Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Plan - the first in Florida for a privately-owned project-based Section 8 multifamily property, and one of only 21 nationwide.

Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) (https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/multifamily-fss/) is a HUD program that provides incentives and supports to help families living in multifamily assisted housing to increase their earned income and reduce their dependence on public assistance programs. FSS promotes the development of local strategies to coordinate the use of HUD rental assistance programs with public and private resources, to enable eligible families to make progress toward economic independence and self-sufficiency.

"One of HUD's goals is to create a clear path to self-sufficiency by increasing HUD-assisted resident participation in education, work, and financial literacy activities which would reduce the need for HUD rental assistance," said Cleveland-Leggett. HUD Jacksonville Field Office Director Alesia Scott-Ford, and Hollybrook Homes / 180 Cares CEO, Lynn Griffin, led attendees through the program that featured past and present tenants giving their testimonies about the positive impact Hollybrook's programs have had on them and their families.

Griffin indicated the goal is to "graduate" all assisted tenants that can achieve self-sufficiency and measuring that success will enable HUD to serve more families over time with its resources. "Housing assistance is a starting point toward self-sufficiency but, with the FSS Plan, HUD-assisted households at Hollybrook will be connected to services that close the educational and employment gaps that prevent them from achieving full economic self-sufficiency," said Griffin.

Hollybrook Homes has a history of innovation and tenant-focus. In the late 1990s it served as the national model for HUD's Neighborhood Network Center Initiative, based on the tenant-focused partnerships fostered by the then-property owner and management. Now, in 2018, the property's owner and management are still innovating, setting a high but attainable bar for other properties in Jacksonville, Florida and around the nation to follow: just focus on knowing and meeting residents' needs.

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