HUD AWARDS $375,000 TO AID HAWAII FAMILIES IN PUBLIC HOUSING

SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $375,000 to Parents and Children Living Together to assist Hawaii families living in public housing.

"This funding helps a wide range of people who live in public housing," said HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson. "It
gives families the resources they need to get the education or training they need to find jobs."

The funding is provided through HUD's Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) Program. ROSS grants are awarded to public housing authorities (PHAs), resident organizations or non-profit organizations acting on behalf of residents to encourage self-sufficiency among public housing residents.

ROSS Family and Homeownership grants link residents with supportive services, including education, job and
computer training and homeownership counseling that put families on the track to self-sufficiency.

PHAs can use the funding to hire project coordinators who assess resident needs then link them with appropriate services. They also use it to provide families a full array of educational programs, and job readiness as they move along the spectrum of self-sufficiency. So that residents can take advantage of the education and employment services, this funding also matches residents to supportive services such as childcare and transportation. In
addition, ROSS funding can support after-school and summer programs for youth living in public housing. In this
way, the program has the potential to serve the whole family.

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 and espanol.hud.gov.

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