Administering an Effective Family Self-Sufficiency Program

1 Administering an Effective Family Self-Sufficiency Program : A Guidebook Based on Evidence and Promising Practices Department of housing and Urban development Office of public and Indian housing FEBRUARY 2017 Preface The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program is a critical component of HUD s overall efforts to help housing Choice Voucher holders and residents of public housing and HUD-assisted multifamily housing to make progress toward economic security. FSS helps participants increase their earnings and build financial capability and assets through two key features which build on the platform of stable housing created by rental assistance: A financial incentive for participants to increase their earnings in the form of anescrow savings account that increases as residents earnings increase.

2 The escrowaccount helps participants build savings that they can use to improve their quality oflife and advance their personal goals. Escrow funds can also help participants coverthe cost of services that may be needed to make progress toward goals whileenrolled in the Program , such as employment training or car repair. Case management or coaching to help residents access services they may needto overcome barriers to employment, strengthen their financial capability, andaddress other challenges holding them back from achieving their guidebook Administering an Effective Family Self-Sufficiency Program : A Guidebook Based on Evidence and Promising Practices provides practical hands-on guidance on how to run an Effective FSS Program .

3 By applying the promising practices described in this guidebook to their local FSS programs, FSS Program coordinators can strengthen their programs to provide more Effective assistance to FSS participants, helping participants to successfully achieve their goals and make tangible progress toward economic security. This guidebook is an important resource for both new and experienced FSS Program coordinators, as well as PHA staff, HUD staff and others with an interest in the FSS Program . It is the result of an intensive year-long engagement of an FSS Community of Practice made up of FSS professionals from high-performing PHAs covering a range of settings.

4 As an evidence-based guide to practice, this guidebook goes beyond a summary of Program regulations. Among other content, the guidebook includes specific action-oriented recommendations on how to help low-income individuals increase their earnings and build assets and financial capability. New FSS coordinators will benefit from the detailed overview the guidebook provides of the activities involved in Administering an FSS Program and helping FSS participants to achieve their goals. By reviewing the guidebook from cover to cover, new coordinators can obtain a comprehensive introduction to the FSS Program .

5 Experienced FSS coordinators may wish to jump right to one of the following chapters, which provide practical advice, based on research evidence and lessons learned by experienced practitioners, on how to achieve the core substantive objectives of FSS: Chapter 3 Case Management/Coaching Chapter 4 Helping FSS Participants Increase their Earnings Chapter 5 Helping FSS Participants Build Assets and Financial Capability The accompanying online training is based on the guidebook, providing a high-level and accessible introduction to the content.

6 Individuals who complete the online training will find the guidebook to be a useful resource for learning more about subjects covered in the training. CONTENTS Preface ..1 Overview of Administering an Effective Family Self-Sufficiency Program : A Guidebook Based on Evidence and Promising What is FSS and Why is it Important?..6 FSS Action Plan and Core Documents for the FSS and Goal-Setting.

7 15 Overview of the FSS Program Coordinator Outreach and Enrollment ..20 Contract of Participation and Individual Training and Services Participant The Goal Setting Process ..35 Management/Coaching ..41 A Client-Centered Approach ..41 Participant Meetings and Referrals to Service Providers ..48 Helping Participants Build Executive FSS Participants Increase Their Earnings ..56 Developing an Overall Approach to Promoting and Supporting Employment ..57 Helping Participants Access Basic Skills and Postsecondary Education and Helping Participants Find and Retain Employment.

8 71 FSS Participants Build Assets and Financial Capability ..78 Asset Building and Financial The FSS Escrow Account ..91 Homeownership and Other housing an Effective FSS Infrastructure ..102 Building FSS in the Host FSS Reporting to Tracking Minimum FSS Program Portability in the FSS Lessons Learned from Workforce development Experience and The Career Pathways Technical Requirements of the FSS Addendum and Form Administering an Effective Family Self-Sufficiency Program pg.

9 I CONTENTS Administering an Effective Family Self-Sufficiency Program pg. ii INTRODUCTION Administering an Effective Family Self-Sufficiency Program pg. 1 Overview of Administering an Effective Family Self-Sufficiency Program : A Guidebook Based on Evidence and Promising Practices This guidebook is a resource for new and experienced Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program coordinators and administrators on how to develop and administer a successful FSS Program . Commissioned by the Office of public and Indian housing (PIH), the guidebook is designed primarily to inform the practice of FSS Program coordinators serving public housing residents and families in the housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program .

10 However, the guidebook should also be useful to FSS coordinators serving families in HUD-assisted multifamily developments. (More information on the applicability of this guidebook to multifamily owners is provided in the box below.) The secondary audiences for this guidebook are public housing agency (PHA) and owner agency board members and commissioners, executive directors, senior housing staff, and other staff who may not work directly with the FSS Program but who may be responsible for overseeing the Program s administration.