HUD AWARDS FOUR WASHINGTON STATE ORGANIZATIONS ALMOST $2.1 MILLION TO PROMOTE JOBS & SELF-SUFFICIENCY AMONG PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS

SEATTLE - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded a total of $2,072,206 to Full Life Care of Seattle, the Skyline Crest Resident Leadership Group in Vancouver and the Everett, Renton and Seattle housing authorities to help public housing residents connect to job training and opportunities to increase their economic independence and elderly residents to maintain independent living.

"We need to take a wider view of the needs of public housing residents beyond just housing if we're to be true to the goal of promoting self-sufficiency," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "The caseworkers that housing authorities can hire or keep on staff help thousands of public housing residents connect to opportunities to obtain jobs or increase their incomes that lead to self-sufficiency and improve quality of life."

"ROSS allow housing authorities, resident associations and others to offer a helping hand to residents want to take a step or two up the ladder to economic independence or to the elderly who want to maintain an independent
lifestyle," said HUD's Northwest Regional Administrator Mary McBride. "Sometimes that's all it takes for people to succeed in ways they never imagined."

The grants were part of $31 million awarded nationally today to public housing authorities, resident associations and non-profit organizations under HUD's Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) - Service Coordinators Program. ROSS enables grantees to hire or retain service coordinator who works directly with residents to assess
their needs 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. For an elderly or disabled resident, the service coordinator arranges supportive services that allow them to maintain their independent lifestyle.

The purpose of HUD's ROSS - Service Coordinators Program is to encourage local innovative strategies that link public housing assistance with public and private resources to enable participating families to increase earned income; reduce or eliminate the need for welfare assistance; and make progress toward achieving economic independence and housing self-sufficiency.

The Washington organizations awarded ROSS funds 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 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.