Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS)

Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS)

Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) is a HOPE (Homeownership and Opportunity for People Everywhere) initiative enacted in the Nation Affordable Housing Act of 1990. The program was created to coordinate public and private resources to enable families to achieve economic independence and self-sufficiency. The FSS program tackles the problem of dependency by giving economically and educationally disadvantaged families the opportunity to receive housing assistance under the Housing Choice Voucher Program rental assistance program, and the supportive services necessary for them to obtain an education and/or job training and secure permanent employment.

The head of household is expected to obtain job training or complete a degree program and secure permanent employment in the field that he/she studied, with the assistance of the FSS program. The program is for five years, in which the participating family is required to sign a Contract of Participation. Attached to the Contract of Participation are an Individual Training and Service Plan, which maps the participant’s goals for the following five years in the program. The participant can withdraw from the program at any time without being penalized with their housing assistance.

Once a participant secures employment and is free of cash assistance within one year, he/she is eligible for an escrow account balance.

Who is Eligible?

Program participation is open to all Housing Choice Voucher Program and Public Housing clients currently under a Public Housing lease or that have a Housing Voucher. Any client going through the briefing must lease up before they can execute a FSS contract. The FSS program is for single parents and married couples. The participant can be employed or unemployed, in school or out of school. Every participant will be at a different level based on their own particular needs.

For further FSS program information, please click here or contact Linda Willis at 863-687-2911 ext. 225.