Rockford Housing Authority 2016 Family Self-Sufficiency Action Plan

Monday, December 21, 2015

Rockford Housing Authority (RHA) receives $200,961 in 2016 Family Self-Sufficiency grants and approval of its new Family Self-Sufficiency Action Plan to expand opportunities for RHA residents to become self-sufficient. FSS is a HUD program that enables families assisted through the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV also known as Section 8) program and Public Housing (PH) residents to increase their earned income and reduce their dependency on welfare assistance and rental subsidies as they become self-sufficient. Simply – the purpose of the FSS program is to coordinate housing assistance with public and private resources to enable assisted families to achieve economic self-sufficiency. The FSS program is essential to RHA’s family mantra of move in, move up, move on. Public Housing Agencies work in collaboration with a Program Coordinating Committee (PCC) to secure commitments of public and private resources for the operation of the FSS program, to develop the PHA’s FSS Action Plan, and to implement the program. The new Action Plan builds on past success of the RHA FSS program and incorporates evidence based practices, case management and intervention strategies to expand FSS enrollment to all RHA properties; including those under RHA’s 1100 unit redevelopment plan. This includes the New Towne property. Past RHA successes include helping 105 families move from public housing or the HCV program to owning homes all over the City of Rockford. It is these past successful processes, married to evidence based strategies that will provide the greatest success for our residents and our community. The successful integration of coordinated services is exemplified in the recent achievement of and recognition for effectively ending Veteran’s homelessness in our community. Beth Sandor, Director, Zero: 2016, stated, “It is with special pride that I note you are the first community in America to receive this certification. Your achievement will set a powerful example for other communities to follow as they pursue a measurable end to veteran homelessness. Congratulations!” RHA is honored to have offered 86 veteran specific vouchers to aid the City of Rockford, Veterans Administration and Continuum of Care in achieving this goal. As exhibited in the effort to end veteran’s homelessness the successful integration of housing, case management and supportive services is achievable. And while proven in other communities it is more than promising to see this success happening in Rockford. The RHA’s new FSS Action Plan will use the same principals and processes used in the Veteran’s initiative to break the cycle of poverty for its residents.  “I am happy to accept this grant award and implement the new Action plan as part of RHA’s continued effort to improve outcomes for our residents and our community” stated Ron Clewer, CEO, RHA.   “As we implement these new strategies we will happily share our dashboard data with the community. 2016 will be the year we move from research and systems change to implementation and open data sharing. This transparency should better help the community understand the work RHA does with our partners!” Thank you to HUD for continuing to invest in these poverty reducing programs and in Rockford. Special thanks to our Program Coordinating Committee and the many public and private partners that have helped bring us this far in our agency transformation. Rockford Housing Authority 2015 Self-Sufficiency Action Plan The RHA FSS plan is Consistent with the Consolidated Plan for the City of Rockford The RHA FSS plan serves goals 1.3, 13 and 14 as defined in the City of Rockford’s 20/20 Implementation Plan as noted on pages 25, 33 and 34. Check out the article in the Rockford Register Star Announcement on United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Zero 2016 Initiative Letter of Congratulations]]>