Family Self-Sufficiency Program

Family Self-Sufficiency Program

The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program assists low-income families in becoming economically independent of “welfare assistance” through upgrading current skills, continuing education, and/or job training.

FSS Program Coordinator’s role

•To help participants in pursuing education. The FSS coordinatorwill help participants

findresources at local Adult Education and colleges to obtain much needededucation for a careerthey areinterested in.

•To help participants obtainchildcare by providing you with a list of Daycares in the area,

and find resources to help pay for childcare.

•Career counseling: The FSS Coordinator will work with participants to help them

identifytheir strengths and weaknesses and find a career that they would enjoy and find

very fulfilling and provide employment with a living wage.

•Obtaining a driver’s license: The FSS Coordinator may be a reader for the written test or

find local resources from driver’s education to taking the road test.

•Job skills training: Through local training programs, the FSS Coordinator will find

training that participants need to obtain employment.

•Employment: the coordinator will help in finding employment from applying, resume

writing,and mock interviews.

•Homeownership training: The coordinator will help participants sign up into the local

Homeownership course, help find local lenders, and help in the transition of becoming a

Homeowner, with a Section 8 Voucher.

Currently, the Caribou Housing Agency’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program has 32 participants.

For the year 2015, of the 32 participants, 22 are employed, 5 are in education programs,

4 are in the seeking employment phase, and 1 participant became a homeowner through

the homeownership program and is 100%off Section 8.

Also in 2015, 3 FSS participants became Zero HAP which means their income exceeded

FMR (fair market rent) and the Caribou Housing Agency no longer pays a portion of

their rent.

On December 23, 2015, HUD announced $75 million in grants to the Family Self-Sufficiency Programs nationwide. Nine Public Housing Authorities state wide in Maine will share $439,537 in funding. Portland Housing Authority, $72,012; Bangor Housing Authority, $57,820; and Caribou Housing Agency, $48,729. When Caribou applied for the grant, a request as asked for $56,500. Unfortunately, HUD did not grant the raise. The last time Caribou received a raise in the grant amount was in 2011.

Caribou Housing Agency is the only PHA north of Bangor that supports the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, and is one of the largest programs in Maine!