The money will be used to employ a person that will work to better connect households with existing resources in the community as the organization looks to forge more partnerships with other local agencies, said LaMonyka French, the executive director of the local housing authority.
French said that her organization received money for the program in the past and is looking to reimplement it after being awarded funding from HUD this year. They will receive that funding over a period of three years, she added.
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The local housing authority aims to connect residents with safe affordable housing options as well as promote economic independence, according to its mission statement.
The latest funding opportunity will allow them to pursue strategies that link housing assistance with public and private resources. The goal is to enable participating families to increase their earned income, reduce or eliminate the need for welfare assistance, and make progress toward achieving economic independence and housing self-sufficiency, according to a news release from the organization.
The position, which French said they hope to hire in the coming months, will support those in the program as they advance towards individual goals. That includes using personalized needs assessments, case management and referrals to community and web-based services.
The local housing authority currently has 789 public housing units and provides vouchers for safe and affordable housing in the private market, French said. The organization also recently awarded additional funding by HUD for a preexisting program and for efforts geared towards helping homeless veterans.
It was awarded $72,000 in Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) funding and $52,563 in Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing funding from HUD.
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FSS funding that was recently renewed for the organization will allow it to continue to staff a coordinator position with an emphasis on economic self-sufficiency. It will also be used to help assist approximately 75 households, according to a news release from the organization.
That program aided 25 households last year with one participant starting a food truck business and another attaining college and other educational accolades, according to a news release from the local housing authority.
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