The Plattsburgh Housing Authority has openings for participants in the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS). Family Self-Sufficiency is a program in Public Housing and the Section 8 Program designed to assist families in achieving economic independence. This program is unique in that it provides a link to available support services in this area while a family builds an escrow savings account. These supportive services are necessary in order for families to obtain their goal of self-sufficiency.

If you are presently attending school or job training of any type, this progam will be beneficial to you as well. The Family Self-Sufficiency program will provide various workshops, support groups, and an escrow account to participants. Currently, the Family Self-Sufficiency Program has 40 participants enrolled in the program. These participants are either employed, attending school, completing job training, or a combination of working and attending school.

•What is the program?
F.S.S. is a program which offers assistance through coordinating child care, transportation, education, career and personal counseling, job-training and job placement. The goal is to help assist highly motivated persons in becoming economically self-sufficient.

•Who may apply?
The F.S.S. program is being offered to any head of household who is currently participating in the Section 8 Program or Public Housing.

•How do I apply?
If you are interested in participating in the F.S.S. Program, please call 561-0720 ext. 32 and the F.S.S. Coordinator will schedule an interview.

•What happens at the interview?
At the interview you will be asked to complete a questionaire to help determine the types of services that can best help you meet your needs. Those who are able to benefit from the types of services available through the F.S.S. Program will be selected for participation. Failure to be selected will not jeopardize your eligibilty for other housing assistance or alter your position in the Section 8 Program.

•What happens after being selected for the program?
Each participant (head of household) will work with the F.S.S. coordinator to complete an individual action plan. Short-term goals and tasks to reach those goals will be agreed upon by the participant and the service coordinator. Goals could include GED Preparation, college courses, child care, transportation, job-training, employment, or finding a better paying job.
Once an agreement has been reached on the individual action plan, that agreement will be formalized by way of a Contract of Participation. Any increase in rent amount is placed in an escrow account for your use after the contract is complete. The service coordinator and the participant will meet regularly to follow up on the participant's progress.

•What happens when I meet my goals?
After the household achieves the contract goals, the money in the escrow account is given to the family for their own use. Self-esteem is raised, new goals are sought and the family's life is improved.

•Purpose
The Purpose of the Family Self-Sufficiency Program is to promote the development of local strategies to coordinate housing assistance under the Section 8 Voucher Program and Public Housing with public and private resources, and to enable families who receive assistance under this program to achieve economic independence and self-sufficiency.

•Objective
The objective of the F.S.S. Program is to reduce the dependency of low-income families on welfare assistance, Section 8, and any federal, State or local rent or home ownership subsidies. Under the F.S.S. program, low-income families are provided opportunities for education, job-training, counseling and other forms of social service assistance while living in assisted housing, so that they may obtain the education, employment, business and social skills necessary to achieve self-sufficiency.
Success for the F.S.S. program will be measured not only by the number of families who achieve self-sufficiency, but also by the number of families who, as a result of participation in the program, have family members who obtain their first job, or who obtain higher paying jobs, no longer need assistance received under one or more welfare programs, obtain a high school diploma or accomplish similar goals that will assist the family in obtaining economic independence.

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