At the end of last week, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Sec. Ben Carson announced almost $3.5 million in federal funds are headed to the Sunshine State.
The funds are part of $78 million to “help residents of public housing and voucher-assisted housing increase their earned income and reduce their dependency on public assistance and rental subsidies” through the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program.
“Putting people on the path to self-sufficiency by helping them find jobs and increase their earned income is an essential part of HUD’s mission,” Carson said on Friday. “This funding is a good example of how federal and local partnerships work to help connect families to jobs and educational opportunities to help them become a success.”
“HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program funding helps local public housing authorities to hire Service Coordinators who work directly with residents to connect them with existing programs and services in the local community. These Service Coordinators build relationships with networks of local service providers, who provide direct assistance to FSS participants. The broad spectrum of services made possible through FSS enables participating families to find jobs, increase earned income, reduce or eliminate the need for rental and/or welfare assistance, and make progress toward achieving economic independence and self-sufficiency,” HUD noted.
“Participants in the program sign a five-year contract of participation requiring the head of the household to set specific goals and achievements allowed under the FSS Program. To successfully graduate, the head of household must be employed and no member of the FSS family may have received cash welfare assistance for twelve months prior to program graduation. Families in the FSS program have an interest-bearing escrow account established for them. The amount credited to the family’s escrow account is based on increases rent due to improvement in the family’s earned income during the term of the FSS contract. Upon successful graduation, the head of household receives the escrow funds are able to apply those funds to advance their personal circumstances, including, for example, paying educational expenses or making a down-payment on a home,” HUD added.
The Housing Authority of the City of Tampa will receive 486,017.The Jacksonville Housing Authority is getting $321,453 while the Broward County Housing Authority is penciled in for $254,735 and almost $245,000 is going to get almost $245,000.
HUD plans to send $144,000 to the Winter Haven Housing Authority while the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers will get $140,000. Both the West Palm Beach Housing Authority and the Housing Authority of Brevard County will be getting $132,000. The Hialeah Housing Authority will receive $129,930. HUD will send almost $125,000 to the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Lauderdale. The Pinellas County Housing Authority will receive $118,000 while the Housing Authority of the City of Daytona Beach is penciled in for $104,339.
Other public housing agencies in Florida will also be getting funds from HUD including the Ocala Housing Authority at $91,641 and the Lakeland Housing Authority, the Milton Housing Authority, the Tallahassee Housing Authority each getting $72,000. The Housing Authority of the City of New Smyrna Beach will get $69,380 while HUD is sending $66,385 to the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Pierce and $63,000 to the Housing Authority of the City of Homestead.
HUD will send $57,500 to the Palm Beach County Housing Authority; $56,716 to the Lee County Housing Authority; almost $55,500 to both the Clearwater Housing Authority and the Housing Authority of the City of Deerfield Beach; almost $54,500 to the Orange County Housing and Community Development; almost $53,000 to the Delray Beach Housing Authority; and $51,225 to the Punta Gorda Housing Authority.
The Pasco County Housing Authority and the Sarasota Housing Authority will both be getting more than $42,250 each. The Walton County Housing Authority is scheduled for almost $38,200. HUD will send $31,500 to the Housing Authority of the City of Miami Beach and more than $31,300 to the Manatee County Housing Authority. The Pahokee Housing Authority will get $23,417.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
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