From Renting to Owning in Memphis

On a cold, wet and rainy December morning, more than 75 people gathered together in the board room of the Memphis Housing Authority (MHA) to celebrate and acknowledge the accomplishments of recent graduates of HUD's Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program, a program enacted by Congress in 1990 to help promote employment among and boost the assets of low-income families participating in certain federal housing programs.

FSS & SHAPE graduates, MHA and HUD Staff

Missing from the crowd was Brian Wood, a disabled veteran who once was homeless, sleeping in cars, and who could not get his life in order. But when he applied for and received a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher from MHA, his luck began to change. With voucher in hand and a desire for something better in life, Brian decided to pursue homeownership and signed up for the agency's Section 8 Homeownership Assistance Program (SHAPE). His dream of owning his own home finally paid off when he graduated from the SHAPE program as a new homeowner. "My life has changed because I now have pride in myself and rejoice in having my own backyard and a place I call home." When asked what he could tell others about homeownership, Brian replied "I would tell other residents to never give up, do what is required, trust your caseworker to do what is best for you, stay focused, wear your feelings in your soles and be thankful."

Brian Wood, SHAPE graduate & HCV Program homeowner

Currently serving more than 75,000 families nationwide, HUD's FSS program is administered by State and local Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and open to families participating in the Housing Choice Voucher (also known as the Section 8 Voucher) program or living in Public Housing. PHAs have discretion to determine how applicants will be selected for participation and how many participants will be in the local program. An interest-bearing FSS escrow account is established by the PHA for each participating family. The law provides that a family may complete its FSS contract within five years and receive its escrow while continuing to receive housing assistance under the voucher program. To participate, families must work with service coordinators to develop and carry out a personal action plan. The plan specifies personal goals over a five-year contract period and helps link the family to other support services, which might include Homeownership (pre-and post homeownership counseling), vocational training, child care College, financial management, credit counseling and employment training.

Sandra Hollowell, FSS Graduate and Homeowner

Memphis Housing Authority has graduated more than 140 residents from the FSS and SHAPE programs since the programs started in 1995 (FSS) and 2004 (SHAPE). Sandra Hollowell, a FSS graduate, says she signed up for the program to achieve two goals: to complete college and to obtain homeownership. Ms. Hollowell said her life changed for the better after graduating from the program because she is now able to explore better job opportunities after receiving her degree. Ms. Hollowell graduated from Southwest Community College in May 2007 with an Associates Degree in early childhood development. Also, while receiving credit counseling she improved her credit scores and was able to purchase a brand new home with multiple features and payments she can afford. Ms. Hollowell recently spoke at a meeting and told other participants that patience is the key. She reminded families to stay focused and never give up. It took Sandra five years to achieve her goals and now she represents HCV residents on the FSS Coordinating Committee.

According to Brenda Horton, the FSS Coordinator for MHA, the average time it takes a participant to fulfill his/her contract under the FSS is 2-3 years, and between 1-2 years for SHAPE participants. Ms. Horton, who serves as the FSS coordinator, is responsible for assisting residents in improving their lives through gainful employment, continuing education, credit and financial counseling, and homeownership preparation. You can tell that she loves her job and that she's proud of her graduates. When asked what does she like most about her job, she responded, "What I enjoy most about my job is seeing the residents obtain and achieve their dreams of becoming economically independent from government entities." Through Ms. Horton's efforts, the MHA has managed to secure partnerships with various agencies, including Memphis City Schools, Memphis Housing Resource Center, RISE Save-up Program, The Works, First Tennessee Bank, SunTrust Bank, City of Memphis (down payment assistance program), and Memphis area Career Center.

For the past four years, Marquiepta Odom has served as the SHAPE Homeownership Coordinator for the Section 8 HCV Program. She is responsible for enrollment, credit counseling, referrals, follow-up, and interacting with loan officers and realtors Ms. Odom is passionate about her job and says, "If I could do anything else, I would like to be an advocate for all low income and disadvantaged people to assist them in making the correct choices that would impact their lives and the lives of their children."

For more information about HUD's Housing Choice Voucher FSS Program, please visit www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/fss.cfm.