HUD announces housing and rental assistance grants for La.
8th April 2024 · 0 Comments
By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced grants totaling over $128 million to 835 public housing agencies (PHAs) and project based rental assistance (PBRA) owners for the 2023 Renewal and New Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Program.
The program is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s focus on providing financial resources to aid families in their efforts to achieve economic independence. PHAs and PBRA owners in Louisiana received $1,141,994 in the latest batch of grants.
The new FSS awards in Louisiana went to the Housing Authority of the City of Alexandria ($88,498) and the Housing Authority of East Baton Rouge Parish ($64,145). Renewal awards went to the Housing Authority of New Orleans ($82,482); the Housing Authority of the City of Shreveport ($258,913); Lafayette Housing Authority ($95,035); St. James Parish Housing Authority ($95,035); Calcasieu Parish Police Jury Human Services Housing Department ($55,771); Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government ($88,498); and Jefferson Parish Housing Services Development District ($313,617).
“Financial literacy, on the job training and educational opportunities are some of the resources the FSS program provides to HUD-assisted families so that they have the chance to find employment and build assets,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge in a press release. “HUD remains committed to working with our local partners to empower residents.”
The FSS Program is a voluntary initiative offered to families in HUD-assisted housing. The program offers coaching to participants and connects participating families with public and private resources to increase their earned income and financial empowerment. One goal of this work is to reduce families’ need for welfare assistance.
“HUD’s Family Self Sufficiency program focuses on uplifting our clients through their own efforts,” said HUD Regional Administrator Candace Valenzuela in a press release. “In tough times, this program is the hand-up that many hardworking Louisianans will benefit from.”
The FSS Program is the largest program of its kind in the United States. It funds over 1,450 coordinators who serve over 69,000 people in public, voucher and multifamily housing. The program aims to help close the racial wealth gap, which has grown in recent years.
According to data from the American Civil Liberties Union, the gap between Black and white families’ home ownership was 25 percent in 1976 and, in 2022, that gap had risen to over 30 percent. Black applicants are also 1.8 times more likely to be denied for a mortgage than white applicants. The median interest rate for Black homeowners is 6.95 percent higher than that of white homeowners.
When homeownership avenues are denied, people resort to renting on a long-term basis. Renters often have a minimal safety net to draw from in times of unemployment or unanticipated expenses (e.g. car repair or medical emergencies).
“Regardless of how much money one might make, where they live, whether or not they receive assistance, every person in this country deserves to have the sense of security for their families that comes with consistent saving,” said HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Richard Monocchio in a press release. “We are thrilled to offer the benefits of the FSS program to more participants than ever before.”
Jedidiah Jackson, director of client services for HANO, said the FSS program has had a positive impact on New Orleans residents.
“From becoming a homeowner, to attaining an associate or bachelor’s degree, to starting a business, FSS works to meet the residents where they are and helps to create a structured path to self-sufficiency that can create a generational paradigm shift for a family,” Jackson said. “We have seen the program work and understand its importance. We are excited about what our grant renewal will mean for families that are intent on becoming self-sufficient.”
HANO residents must be 18 years of age or older to participate in the FSS program and must also have been living in New Orleans for a year in a subsidized housing program. They must be compliant with the terms of their current lease and enter into a five-to-seven-year contract with HANO to allow for goal setting and case management by HANO’s FSS specialists throughout the duration of the program.
Any interested HANO resident can go to www.hano.org/Tenants/FSS to fill out the FSS interest form. A HANO FSS specialist will respond to applicants within 24-48 hours of submission.
This article originally published in the April 8, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
