The Santa Ana Housing Authority has been awarded a $405,720 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to manage and expand the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program. This is a critical initiative designed to support families who receive rental assistance in the Housing Choice Voucher Program to become self-sufficient. The funding marks an increase of $145,641 from last year’s award and is nearly three times the amount the Housing Authority received just five years ago.
Following this award, Santa Ana’s FSS program grant now ranks 13th out of the 47 FSS grants awarded in California and 53rd out of 836 awards nationwide. The funds will support the salaries of three Workforce Specialists co-located in the Santa Ana WORK Center, who will oversee the day-to-day operations and provide essential services to the families enrolled in the program.
The FSS Program is a lifeline for HUD-assisted families, offering them the support and resources needed to break the cycle of poverty. The program’s primary goal is to help participants increase their earned income while reducing dependency on welfare and rental assistance. By providing workforce development services and connecting families to resources in the community, FSS helps families overcome barriers to employment, further their education, improve their financial literacy, and tackle other obstacles preventing them from reaching their full potential.
One of the most distinctive aspects of the FSS Program is its innovative approach to rent increases. Typically, when a household’s income increases in the Housing Choice Voucher Program, so does their portion of rent. However, for participants in the FSS program, the increase is instead deposited into a savings account, which is paid out once they complete all of the program’s requirements.
To graduate from FSS, participants must secure and maintain suitable employment and become free from welfare cash assistance. This program currently assists 140 families. Over the past three years, 32 families have graduated from the program after meeting their goals and received a combined total of $582,456 in savings.
This expanded grant funding will allow the Housing Authority to reach even more families and continue empowering individuals to build brighter futures.