Hannah News Service, May 27, 2011.
129th General Assembly - Ohio ranks near the top of federal workforce assistance in new grants announced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The agency awarded nearly $15 million Friday to more than 200 public housing authorities across the U.S., including several of Ohio's major urban areas and a number of its regional centers.
Ohio will receive over $707,000 in "self-sufficiency" grants to 11 local housing authorities, surpassed only by Texas ($1.18 million), California ($1.05 million), North Carolina ($1.02 million) and Virginia ($780,000). Trailing the Buckeye State in HUD workforce awards were New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Illinois, Georgia and Michigan, the latter marked for $162,000.
HUD's Public and Indian Housing Family Self-Sufficiency Program seeks to assist residents on public assistance in finding jobs leading to economic independence. The awards allow housing authorities to hire program coordinators that connect residents with local education and training opportunities, job placement organizations, and local employers. By linking housing assistance with other resources, the program seeks to enable families to increase earned income, reduce or eliminate the need for welfare assistance, and make progress toward economic independence and housing self-sufficiency.
"Family self-sufficiency programs have a proven track record of helping families succeed," HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said in a statement. "When families are given the tools they need to join a skilled workforce they move beyond HUD's rental assistance programs to self-sufficiency. This is how Americans will win the future -- individually and collectively."
Public housing residents sign a contract to participate, outlining their responsibilities towards completion of training and employment goals over a five-year period. Families on welfare are asked to pursue independence from federal assistance before the contract expires. Residents may create an escrow account with their increasing income, which they may use for continuing education, major purchases or improved credit scores.
A HUD study issued earlier this year evaluated the effectiveness of the self-sufficiency program. Conducted between 2005- 2009, the report found "substantial financial benefits" for participants completing the program. This study is the second of a three-part evaluation of the program. The first study found participants fared better financially than those who did not enroll in the program. HUD will launch the third and final study of the series this year.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research will also undertake two other related studies this year. One will determine whether certain family self-sufficiency participants still enrolled when the Prospective Study ended went on to graduate from the program, and whether they met their goals for financial self-sufficiency. The second will test the effectiveness of the program nationwide -- the first national study of the self-sufficiency program as part of HUD's Transformation Initiative, created in 2010 to "encourage more transparency and accountability within the agency."
Following is a complete list of Ohio's family self-sufficiency awards:
- Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority $131,431
- Chillicothe Metropolitan Housing Authority $50,325
- Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority $65,042
- Fairfield Metropolitan Housing Authority $56,580
- Geauga Metropolitan Housing Authority $63,654
- Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority $64,782
- Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority $55,110
- Morgan Metropolitan Housing Authority $49,849
- Springfield Metropolitan Housing Authority $69,000
- Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority $50,078
- Zanesville Metropolitan Housing Authority $51,487
The complete list of family self-sufficiency grants by state can be found at the HUD link:
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=2010PH-FSSPHAlist.pdf
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