Categorical Grants

Overview

The Grants Management Center (GMC) completes the grant application process for Job Plus Initiatives, Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) and Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Grants. The GMC reviews, rates and ranks applications and offers recommendations for awards. HUD awards categorical grants on either a competitive, first-come, first-serve basis or by lottery.

Jobs Plus Initiative

The Jobs Plus program develops locally-based, job-driven approaches that increase earnings and advance employment outcomes through work readiness, employer linkages, job placement, educational advancement, technology skills, and financial literacy for residents of public housing. The place-based Jobs Plus program addresses poverty among public housing residents by incentivizing and enabling employment through earned income disregards for working residents and a set of services designed to support work including employer linkages, job placement and counseling, educational advancement, and financial counseling. Ideally, these incentives will saturate the target developments, building a culture of work and making working residents the norm.

Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS)

The Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) is a competitive grant program that addresses the needs of public housing residents by providing supportive services that will: Enable the linking of essential services to public housing residents; Provide resident empowerment activities and assistance for residents to become economically self-sufficient; Provide resources to enhance independent living for the elderly and persons with disabilities; Provide capacity building skills to resident organizations; and Improve the overall quality of life for public housing residents.

There are five grant categories under ROSS:

• Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS)-Service Coordinators Program (ROSS SC)
• 2003-2007 Resident Service Delivery Models - Elderly/Persons with Disabilities
• 2003-2007 Resident Service Delivery Models - Family/Homeownership
• 2002-2005 Homeownership Supportive Services (HSS)
• Public Housing Family Self-Sufficiency

The ROSS Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) is part of the Department-wide SuperNOFA process. The Term of the ROSS grants is 36 months from execution of the grant agreement.

Family Self-Sufficiency

The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program supports the Department’s strategic goal of utilizing housing as a platform for improving quality of life by helping HUD-assisted renters increase their economic security and self-sufficiency. The purpose of the FSS program is to promote the development of local strategies to coordinate the use of assistance under the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Public Housing (PH) programs with public and private resources to enable participating families to increase earned income and financial literacy, reduce or eliminate the need for welfare assistance, and make progress toward economic independence and self-sufficiency. Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) or tribes/Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) that administer FSS programs enter into five-year contracts with new families on an ongoing basis. The FSS contract spells out the terms and conditions governing participation and the responsibilities of both the PHA (or tribe/TDHE) and the family. PHAs are not permitted to limit FSS participation to those families most likely to succeed because of current education level or job history.

GMC Historical Grant Information

• Capacity Building
• Certain Development
• Demolition and Revitalization
• Designated Housing
• Family Unification Program
• Graduation Incentive Program
• Incremental (Fair Share)
• Jobs Plus
• Neighborhood Networks
• Rental Assistance for Non-Elderly Persons with Disabilities
• Resident Management and Business Development (RMBD)
• Service Coordinators

Point of Contact: Monique Wisdom, GMC Webmaster