Public Housing Family Self Sufficiency

Family Self Sufficiency is a voluntary five year program open to public housing residents who are willing and able to work. (FSS) Program is designed to help families become economically independent. All that’s needed is a desire to become self-sufficient and the willingness to take the steps to make it happen.

The FSS family includes everyone in the household. The head of the household signs a five-year Contract of Participation which states the rights and responsibilities of your family and of the Public Housing Authority.

Once the contract is in place, the family is officially an FSS Program Participant, and is entitled to receive all benefits available to FSS participants. Your FSS Coordinator helps you access the services you need, offers encouragement, and coaches you over the next five years while you strive to achieve your goals. FSS will help you gain wealth, happiness, an education, job skills. Get your G.E.D. Go to college, Pay for your children’s education, Set up a budget, Improve your credit, Learn to write a resume, Gain computer skills, Find affordable Child/Elder care, Get counseling, Start your own business, Become self sufficient! Save Money just by working and paying your rent. Find out how! Join the Family Self Sufficiency Program. The program is Free!

The head of the FSS family is required to seek and maintain suitable employment. As a result, your family’s income and therefore your rent will increase. The PHA will set up an FSS Account for your family. It’s a savings account that earns interest. When your rent increases as a result of your income, a portion of that increase is deposited into your FSS Account. So as your income increases, you’ll be able to watch your savings grow. When your Contract of Participation has been successfully completed, the money in this FSS Account is paid to you, no strings attached.

Completing the contract successfully includes meeting the requirement that all family members must be off welfare assistance for at least 12 consecutive months before the end of the contract, completion of a Homeownership course, and that head of household is employed.

The Hialeah Housing Authority has provided the FSS Program since 2000. Hialeah Housing Authority has rewarded their participants a total of since their first graduates in 2005.

• South Florida Workforce - Job Placement and Training. Summer Job Placement for youth 14-16 years of age.
• Consumer Credit Counseling Services of South Florida - Providing Budgeting, debt management, credit improvement, comprehensive Housing counseling through their housing division and individual and group counseling education on Pre-Purchase, Post Purchase, Early Delinquency and Default Mortgage Counseling etc.
• Job Corps - Job training/placement and GED assistance for youth that have dropped out of school.
• The Village South, Inc. - Providing extensive rehabilitation programs for both youth and adults.
• State of Florida Children and Families Services - Providing on site job referral, counseling, benefits eligibility services, and referrals to a myriad of services throughout our community. Managers refer residents to the center through a referral system that includes comments to managers on the result of the referrals.

In addition, the Hialeah Housing Authority counts among its partners other agencies that while not on site, provide our residents with services these are:

• Put Something Back - Assistance from Attorneys working pro-bono to assist residents on legal matters such as immigration concerns, living wills, and other areas involving legal concerns.
• The Eye Institute - Provides free eyesight examinations to both elderly and youth on site twice per year.
• Hialeah YMCA - Providing participation in sports leagues throughout the year for youth from our family developments.
• City of Hialeah Parks and Recreation Division - Providing multiple artistic and sports activities for our residents free of charge.
• Miami Beach Hispanic Center - Providing job training and placement for residents 55 and over.

  ELDERLY SERVICES

  This consists of providing elderly residents living in our elderly developments with information and referral services to facilitate their access to providers that can satisfy their needs. In addition applications for different eligibility benefits (social security, economic resources, and energy applications, etc.) are completed for residents and forwarded to the respective agencies.

• The Alliance on Aging - Funding homebound and congregate meals for elderly and disabled residents of the Hialeah Housing Authority.
• Citrus Health Network - Mental Health Services
• State of Florida Department of Children and Families - Providing on site benefits eligibility services, and referrals to a myriad of services throughout our community. Managers refer residents to the center through a referral system that includes comments to managers on the result of the referrals.
• The Eye Institute - Provides free eyesight examinations to elderly on site twice per year.
• City of Hialeah Parks and Recreation Division - Providing multiple artistic and sports activities for our residents free of charge.

  CHRISTMAS TOY DRIVE

  In 2003, the dollar amount collected from our vendors was $1,670.00. Telemundo, Channel 51 donated 50 large boxes of toys for the children. We also distributed Barbie's worth $1,200 from last years stock.