HUD ANNOUNCES FUNDING TO HELP LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN RHODE ISLAND WITH JOB TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT
Funding aimed at helping families become employable and self-sufficient

Ten housing authorities in Rhode Island have been awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help low-income resident get job training, employment and homeownership counseling.

The funding is part of $45.5 million announced nationwide through HUD's Housing Choice Voucher Family Self-Sufficiency (HCV/FSS) program. The grants are used by housing authorities to hire FSS program coordinators, who
link adults who receive rental assistance through the HCV program to local organizations that provide job training, childcare, counseling, transportation and job placement. Some of the awardees received funding to hire a homeownership coordinator who assist families with getting the information and resources they need to find a
lender and homeownership counseling.

"Because of this funding, individuals who receive HUD voucher assistance will also get job training or educational development to find employment or get a better job," said HUD Regional Director Taylor Caswell. "Gaining
employment or increasing one's potential to obtain a higher paying job is the first step in economic independence
that leads to a world full of opportunities, including homeownership."

Participants in the HCV/FSS program sign a contract that stipulates the head of the household will get a job and
the family will no longer receive welfare assistance at the end of the five-year term. As the family's income rises during the term of the FSS contract, a portion of that increased income is deposited in an interest-bearing escrow account. If the family completes its FSS contract, the family receives the escrow funds that they can use for any purpose, including down payment on a home purchase, paying educational expenses, starting a business or paying back debts.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities, creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans, supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development as well as
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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