FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM (FSS)
Promotes the development of local strategies to coordinate public and private resources that help housing choice voucher program participants and residents of the Troy Housing Authority obtain employment that will enable participating families to achieve economic independence and reduce dependence on welfare assistance and rental subsidies.
Nature of Program: The FSS program is administered by the Troy Housing Authority’s FSS Coordinators. The THA and an adult member of each participating family execute a Contract of Participation, generally for five years with a possible two-year extension for good cause, incorporating the specific training and services plan for the family. Participating families are provided with an interest-bearing escrow account made up of the difference of the rent the family pays when entering the program and the increased rent that would be charged as the family’s earned income increased. On completion of the FSS contract, a family may claim its escrow account, if the person who signs the Contract is employed, no family member is receiving welfare assistance, and the family has met their other individual goals.
FSS Coordinators in each local program build partnerships with employers and service providers in the community to help participants obtain jobs and services. These services may include childcare, transportation, basic adult education, job training, employment counseling, substance/alcohol abuse treatment, financial empowerment coaching, asset-building strategies, household skill training, homeownership counseling, and more.
