HUD AWARDS $104,000 TO TWO LOUISIANA HOUSING AUTHORITIES TO PROMOTE JOBS, SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Shreveport, Jefferson Parish Receive Grants

NEW ORLEANS - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded grants totaling $104,333 to the Shreveport and Jefferson Parish Housing Authorities to help public and assisted housing residents find employment and get needed services. The funding allows 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 list of grantees and amounts follows.

The grants announced today are through HUD's Public Housing-Family Self-Sufficiency Program (PH-FSS).

"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 and access services."

The Public Housing Family Self-Sufficiency Program allows public housing authorities to hire or retain service coordinators to work directly with residents 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.

Nationally, HUD estimates that the funding announced today will allow the grantees to hire new employees, or retain the approximately 650 service coordinators who are currently working with HUD-assisted individuals.

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 PH-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 grantees in Louisiana are:

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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 http://espanol.hud.gov.  You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.