The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded nearly $35 million in grants to public housing authorities, resident associations and non-profit organizations across the U.S. to help public housing residents find jobs and achieve economic and housing independence. The funding will also link the elderly and people with disabilities to supportive services that allow them to maintain independent living and age-in-place.
HUD’s Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency – Service Coordinators Program (ROSS-SC) helps public housing authorities (PHAs), resident associations or non-profit organizations 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. For an elderly or disabled resident, the service coordinator arranges supportive services that allow them to maintain their independence.
“These service coordinators will help thousands of public housing residents connect to jobs and opportunities that lead to self-sufficiency and improved quality of life,” says HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.
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.
For more information, visit www.hud.gov.
