In an effort to help public housing residents become self-sufficient, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $28 million in grants to public housing authorities and non-profit organizations across the nation to hire or retain service coordinators to help residents find jobs and educational opportunities. See list of grant funding by state.
HUD’s Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency – Service Coordinators Program (ROSS-SC) helps public housing authorities, resident associations, non-profit organizations, Indian tribes or entities representing Indian tribes hire or retain “service coordinators” who work directly with residents to assess their needs and connect them with education, job training and placement programs, and/or computer and financial literacy services available in their community to promote self-sufficiency.
“Providing families who live in public housing the opportunity to invest in themselves is a win-win as it helps them to gain economic and housing independence,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “Today, we’re investing in our residents, offering them the tools they need to build a brighter future for themselves and their children.”
The purpose of HUD’s ROSS-SC 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.