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Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) is a voluntary five year program open to Public Housing residents and Housing Choice Voucher Program participants, who are willing and able to work. FSS Program is designed to help families become economically independent. All that is needed is a desire and willingness to take the steps to become self-sufficient.

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 assist you and your family to: achieve financial stability, happiness, get an education, gain job skills, get your G.E.D., go to college, help guide with children’s education, set up a budget, improve your credit, learn to write a resume, gain computer skills, find affordable Child/Elderly care, youth programs, get counseling, start your own business, free transportation assistance, and become self-sufficient!

Save Money just by working and paying your rent. Find out how! Join the Family Self Sufficiency Program. Remember, this is a no cost voluntary program!

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. When your rent increases as a result of your increased income, a portion of that increase is deposited into an FSS escrow account set up by Hialeah Housing Authority for your family. 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 $1,059,153.90 since the first graduates in 2005.

Some of our Supportive Services provides are:

• Career Source South Florida - Job Placement and Training. Summer Job Placement for youth 14-16 years of age.
• Consolidated 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.
• 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.
• United Way Center for Financial Stability – One on one help from a financial Coach regarding: Budgeting, Credit Repair, Small Business Services, Tax Preparation Career Counseling
• Citrus Health Network – Its services to include the provision of primary and preventive health care services. Federally Qualified Health Centers in Miami-Dade County designed to serve the medically underserved and uninsured residents. uninsured residents
• City of Hialeah – Youth programs, Assistance to Domestic Violence victims
• Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation – Transportation Disadvantaged Program Assistance. TD Easy Passes
• Miami Dade County Public Schools – ESOL, GED, Adult, Vocational, and Technical Community Education.