Family Self-Sufficiency Program

A free resource for residents

If you live in public housing or receive rental assistance, you have access to free career planning, job training and family support services. It's all part of the Housing Commission's Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program.

Schedule of upcoming FSS orientations.
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Through a partnership of the Housing Commission, local businesses and community agencies, these free programs can help you to achieve:

• Improved education
• Better employment skills
• Higher income

Best of all, there's no penalty. You will not lose Rental Assistance if, for any reason, you cannot meet the commitments of the program. So you have everything to gain. And nothing to lose!

Tools you need to succeed
The wide array of services available to help your family thrive and gain financial self-sufficiency include:

Education services - literacy, English as a second language, adult education, and child or adult homework tutoring.

Career planning - employment evaluation, research, career preparation, and developing short- and long-term goals.

Job training - short-term training for in-demand occupations at higher than minimum wage.

Youth recreation - after-school programs to help keep kids safe from crime, gangs and drugs.

Community involvement - You can participate in Resident Advisory Boards or Resident Councils to help plan program design, service delivery and program evaluations.

Get real results
When you make a commitment to this program - and do your best to keep your commitment - your results can be very dramatic. You can:

• Earn your GED
• Start college
• Upgrade your career plans
• Take vocational training
• Get a job
• Buy a home
• Try a non-traditional career
• Start your own business

Just remember: with a little hard work, no goal is impossible. If you can dream it, you can do it!

Cash you can count on
When your earned income increases, your rent would normally increase, too, as a Housing Commission client. But in some cases, the Housing Commission can help you set aside some of your increased rent, depositing it into a special "Escrow Savings" account - an interest-collecting savings account in your name. With an Escrow Savings account, you can draw money from this account for expenses related to your career plan - for example, to get a computer for school homework or buy a car to get to your job. When you "graduate" from FSS, the rest of the money in the escrow account is yours to use for the down payment on a new home or any way you choose.

Take the first step
Begin your program of career development and financial self-sufficiency now.

To learn more, call 619.578.7312.

P.S. If you'd like to get ahead within the company or organization where you already work, click here to learn how your employer can get involved.

If you or someone you know is not in our "FSS eligible" housing assistance programs ("Section 8" Rental Assistance and Public Housing), there are other job training/career development programs offered by various community organizations. To learn more about the best resources to fit your needs, contact a community career center near you.