As FSS practitioners will tell you, a full appreciation for the power of the
FSS model can only be acquired by working closely with FSS participants
over the course of several years and seeing them become more confident,
goal-oriented, and successful in building assets, increasing their earnings, and
achieving their goals.
Such an approach is obviously impractical for most individuals that wish to
learn about FSS. Accordingly, as a (concededly inadequate) substitute for
the "real" thing, we have posted stories about successful FSS
graduates submitted by FSS coordinators from around the country.
Stories
are organized alphabetically, by name of the housing agency.
Feel free to scroll through all the stories or jump to a particular
agency.
A
B C D E F G
H I J K LM
N O P Q R S
T U V W X Y Z
New
stories will be added on an ongoing basis, so please check back
again.
Client A entered the program believing she was somewhat
"retarded." She had been constantly told
this by her parents over the years. She was working as
a hotel maid and believed that she could never do anything
that required greater skills. We had her evaluated and
determined that she was not in fact
"retarded." She entered a Home Health Aide
Program, graduated successfully, and went on to her her
certification. She is now happily working, earning
more money than she ever had, and is off the FSS program.
Clients B and C were a young couple with
five children. They came to the FSS program unable to
cope with their financial circumstances. The father
wanted to be an electrician. Through FSS, he was able
to find a job and go to school to get his license. The
mother helped out working while he was in school. They
are not off the program and managing financially.
Client D entered the program unemployed,
taking random college courses. FSS helped her focus on
what she really wanted to do. She went to nursing
school and is now happily employed and off the program.
Client E was working, but not realizing
her potential. We helped her access vocational
training and school. She is now employed by the court
system as a parole officer, has purchased a home and is off
the program.
Clearwater
Housing Authority / Partners in Self-Sufficiency, Florida
The following letter is from a recent FSS (which they call
PSS) graduate:
"The American dream for some is to
own your own home. I wanted to be a part of that dream, but
four years ago that dream seemed so far away. I was in a
marriage that was not working. We had a five year old son
and a newborn son. I applied for and received Section 8 and
was also accepted into PSS. During this time I was working
as a bus driver with Pinellas County Schools.
Joining the PSS program offered me a way
to save money while trying to reach my goal. My goal was to
obtain a clerical job in the school system and to become a
homeowner. PSS also introduced me to the Home Buyers Club
and I went there to receive guidance and advice on how to
work towards becoming a home owner.
About a year after joining PSS, I was
doing well. With every raise, money was put into my savings.
I experienced a set-back when I realized that I was pregnant
with my third child. With this news, I felt my world was
coming to an end because I knew that the financial and
emotional support was not going to be there. I continued to
work as a bus driver up until my eighth month. During the
summer I acquired a job with the school system as an aide at
one of the local schools. I worked approximately a month
before I began experiencing complications with my pregnancy.
I stopped working (my other two children were now 1 1/2 and
6) and requested that my rent be lowered. It was hard to
make ends meet during this time but PSS assisted me in
finding other resources to help with some of my bills.
When I had my child I decided that I had
to make a conscious effort to move in the direction of my
goals. I found daycare right away for my two youngest
children and applied for a full time, year-round position as
a Clerk Typist II with the school system. The position was
located in St. Petersburg but I took the job and stayed
there for two years. With the experience I gained I was able
to apply for a position in Clearwater as a Word Processor.
With prayers and support from my family and friends I got
the job.
I cleaned up my credit by using two years
of income tax refunds. My bills were paid on time and I was
ready to look for a home. With the help of a realtor and
Clearwater Neighborhood Housing Services I found a home in
Clearwater.
I want to give thanks to God because
without him none of this would have been possible. I want to
thank Clearwater Housing Authority, Partners in
Self-Sufficiency and the Home Buyers Club for assisting and
guiding me in the right direction. I also want to thank all
of those who were there to encourage and assist me when I
needed it. Thank You!"
here
for a link to the Partners in Self-Sufficiency website,
which has more success stories.
Municipal
Housing Agency of Council Bluffs, Iowa
When Ms. A entered Municipal Housing Agency of Council
Bluffs' FSS Program in 1994, she had not worked in fifteen
years. She was a single parent with two teenage sons. Ms. A
did not have skills that would enable her to earn more than
minimum wage initially. Her goals were to be full-time
employed, learn to drive, purchase a car, and buy a house.
Ms. A had a number of obstacles that hampered her achieving
these goals; however, she persevered. In the area of
employment she found a job cleaning motel rooms. She held
that job for a time and then changed to another doing the
same work, but having slightly better pay and working
conditions. She changed jobs four or five times before she
began working at a local hospital in their kitchen in
September of 1997. Each time the job was a little better in
some way. Working at the hospital was finally the job she
would enjoy and earn an income whi ch would enable her to be
self sufficient. She is still in that job.
Ms. A's FSS contract was extended to allow
her time to learn to drive. She received an early partial
FSS escrow to take the driving lessons. She took six weeks
of driving instructions. She was not quite ready to take the
driving test for her license. She took the driving course
again. She then had to take the written test. She retook the
test a number of times before she passed, but she
persevered. By this time, her FSS Contract had been extended
over a year. She passed the written test and then the
driving test. She was elated.
She graduated from FSS and received the
escrow savings. With the escrow she purchased a car and paid
for insurance. She still had some of the escrow savings
left. This she put in the bank. She continued to save and
one year later she purchased the house she had wanted for so
long. She accomplished all her goals and she gained self
confidence and satisfaction with her life.
Of our 26 successful graduates, only 5 remain
on the Section 8 Rental Assistance program. Here are
some examples of our successes:
Ms. A was able to leave the rental
assistance program, purchase a home with her new husband and
begin her own day care business in their home. She had
her own day care prior to her divorce and worked diligently
in order to get back into that field.
Ms. B came on our program receiving
welfare benefits, attended school and applied for a
community block grant through our local CDC office to
purchase a hair/nail salon. She was able to repay her
start-up loan to the CDC early, she has gone off rental
assistance and has purchased her own home.
Ms. C never escrowed during her FSS time;
however, due to the help of the FSS program, she obtained
her Bachelor's Degree that enabled her to secure a job in
hotel management. Because of her involvement in the
FSS program, her annual income increased by $23,000 per
year.
Ms. D began her FSS contract receiving
only child support. She became an EMT and is
continuing her education in the medical field. She
also left the rental assistance program to purchase her own
home.
Ms. E was able to purchase a condo.
Through her hard work and perseverance she worked herself up
to a supervisor at her job. This was the first job
that she held for any amount of time and she still works
there today. The biggest benefit of the FSS program
for Ms. E was the improvement in her self-esteem. This
carried over into her job where she has found peace and
security.
Ms. F was able to obtain her Bachelors
Degree in Library Science. She increased her annual
income from $7,020 to $21,268.
Greenfield Housing Auth. and FranklinCounty Regional
HRA, Massachusetts
These quotes are taken from letters from our
graduates:
. . . Although I'm still eligible
for Section 8 (and adding to my escrow account), I have
established myself as a midwife and can afford my full
rent. I'm truly grateful for all that the FSS program
has made possible for me. I hope that someone who needs my
housing subsidy can get it. (Graduate accumulated
escrow of $7,148 and voluntarily gave up Section 8)
. . . This program was a Godsend.
After struggling for years to get self-sufficient and off
federal programs, I found this program gave the first bit of
hope needed to get over the last hurdle. It enabled me to
transition into a safe zone. (Graduate succeeded in boosting
income to point where no longer income-eligible for Section
8; received escrow of $10,000 and bought a condo.)
. . . I am starting my own
business as a paralegal consultant. I have been thoroughly
impressed by the FSS program. I feel that it is one of the
few "user friendly" agency offerings to be found
in the past five years, and hope you continue to help and
support people in following their dreams. It was great to
have you assist with building my confidence and skills. Best
of luck in the future to you -- and to all the other FSS
participants - Never give up!
. . . I appreciate the opportunity
to have been involved in the Family Self-Sufficiency
program. You have been so helpful and encouraging to me.
During the time I have been involved with FSS I have
improved my resume and evaluated job options. I have been
employed in human services and at Rugg Lumber. During the
past year I have been self-employed in landscaping,
care-taking, floral design, housecleaning and pet sitting. I
enjoy this and am adding new customers. I feel I have met my
FSS goals, and wish to use my escrow to further invest in my
business. Everyone I have worked with at the Housing
Authority has been helpful to me and I appreciate the
support.
. . . The Family Self-Sufficiency
program has been instrumental in helping me become
independent. Whoever thought up the idea for the program is
a genius.
. . . I wish I could have had more
time on the program to take advantage of the opportunities
available to me. (Graduated after one year over-income,
married and bought home).
. . . This program was beneficial to
me, and it will allow me to use the money toward my son's
college fund. I am giving up my Section 8 because I'm sure
someone else needs it more than I do now. I am engaged to be
married, and we are buying a home.
Ms. A is the proud new owner of a
3-bedroom 2-full bathroom home. Ms. A and her two daughters
enrolled in the FSS program in 1996. When she entered the
program she was a part-time employee as at a Community
College as a Clerk. Now, she holds an Associate in Science
Degree in Office Management Technology and is a full-time
employee at marine transport company.
Ms. B became a proud first time homeowner
of a 4- bedroom 2-full bathroom home. She is employed in the
Emergency Room at a local hospital.
Ms. C became a proud newlywed of a first
time homeowner of a 3-bedroom 2-bathroom home. She is
employed with UPS.
Entrepreneurship
Ms. D is the elated owner and operator of
Ms. A Home Day Care. Ms. A attended The Children &
Families/FCCJ Family Child Care Training Course.
Mr. E. completed the Jacksonville Chamber
of Commerce, Chamber Alliance of Small Enterprise C.H.A.S.E.
Adopt-A-Business Program. Presently, he owns and operates a
clothing business.
Full-Time Employment
Ms. F has secured a full-time permanent
position at Bank of America, thanks to a collaborative
effort of Resident Initiatives and the Family
Self-Sufficiency Program. Once Ms. F was referred to the
Resident Initiatives Bank of America Customer Service
Training she embarked on her journey to "Economic
Self-Sufficiency."
Lake
Metropolitan Housing Authority, Painesville, Ohio
Ms. A was one of the first people to sign up
for participation in the FSS program at LMHA. She was
the single mother of a teenage son and wanted to be an
example to him. So she went back to school and earned
a certificate from the Cleveland Institute of Dental and
Medical Associates to be a Medical Secretary. . . While in
school and raising a teenager (a full-time job in and of
itself), Ms. A started working at an area hospital under PRN
status. After completing school and continuing to
work, she was able to obtain permanent full-time status at
the hospital. Now she is employed full-time and ready
to take on the world!
She accomplished the goals she set for
herself in the FSS program and earned an escrow of over
$2,000.
Ms. A is one of many FSS participant that has
made significant changes in her life and her future with
help from the FSS program. She is a single mother of
two who was able to acquire a job at a local bank through
the support of the FSS program. In July 2003, she gave
notice of her intention to vacate her unit and moved out of
government-assisted housing. During her time on FSS,
she built up an escrow of $13,4287.05 that she used to buy a
house in a neighboring community.
Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles, California
Ms. G enrolled in the FSS Program on February
1, 1999. She entered the program without employment, but
started working in March 2000 as a Special Education
Instructional Aide assisting students academically, with
career services and individual mentoring. Ambitiously
working toward her Bachelor’s Degree, she obtained her
degree in Human Service in May 2001. As a result of her
accomplishments, Ms. G she obtained a promotional
opportunity with a high school in December 2001 as a
College/Career guidance counselor. Ms. G chose to continue
with her education and enrolled in a Master’s Degree Program
in Education-Counseling in Spring 2002 and intends to finish
the program in a couple of years. In addition to her career
accomplishments, the stability and success of her employment
has allowed her to obtain $17,549 in her escrow account. Ms.
G intends to use the funds from her escrow account to clean
up her credit report and purchase her first home.
Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership, Inc, Massachusetts.
Ms. B joined FSS in 1998. At that time, she was not working
and her household was reporting zero income.
During her initial meetings with the FSS
Program, Ms. B expressed an interest in working in the
healthcare field. She determined that her final goal would
be to get a job in the healthcare field. For the first step
in her career path, the FSS Advisor gave Ms. B information
and a referral to a Home Healthcare Training Program. In
1999, Ms. B completed the training program and began working
in a nursing home.
Once she started to work, Ms. B began to
accrue funds in the escrow account. When Ms. B expressed
interest in taking college classes, the FSS Advisor helped
her access the funds in the escrow account for an interim
disbursement to pay for classes. In 2001, Ms. B completed
the Central Processing Technology program at Roxbury
Community College and began working full-time at one of the
local hospitals. As Ms. B continued to work toward her goal
of becoming a home-owner, the FSS Advisor provided
information about a first-time homebuyers class, which Ms. B
enrolled in and completed.
Ms. B successfully graduated from the FSS
Program in April 2003. She received an escrow check for
$18,813. Her current household income is $34,445 and her
rent share is $825.
When the FSS Program followed up with Ms.
B, she told us that she had used the money from her escrow
account to pay off her credit card debt. She also opened a
savings account to save for the down payment of a house. Ms.
B would like to be a landlord and rent to Section 8
voucher-holders.
When Ms. A came to the FSS program, she was
unemployed and unable to speak English. She completed ESL
courses and found part-time employment. She then enrolled in
the community college to take business courses. The Center
tutored her when she had difficulty and helped her with
child care and family issues. Ms. A received her Associate's
Degree in business and subsequently graduated from FSS with
an escrow of over $9,500 that she used to open her own
business. She has been successful in this venture and has
since also purchased her own home.
Ms. B arrived at the FSS program as an
unemployed single Mother without a GED and very little job
experience. She came to study groups at the Center and, in
short order, was able to get her GED. With the help of the
Center, she also found a part-time job. Then she entered the
community college and, with twice weekly tutoring sessions
at the Center, was able to get her Associate's Degree. While
still maintaining her employment, Ms. B enrolled in a state
college. She continued to come to the Center for twice
weekly tutoring over the next three years, whereupon she
finished her Bachelor's Degree in Social Work. Ms. B
found employment at the Department of Social Services as a
case worker and advanced in the agency over the next two
years. She has since moved to Florida and is employed in
child protection services there.
When Ms. C came to the FSS program, she
had "flunked" out of multiple GED and job training
programs. A single mother of 3 children, she was also a
victim of domestic violence. The Center provided her with
intensive Counseling and peer group supports. This latter
resource encouraged her to try again for her GED.
Reluctantly, Ms. C joined the GED tutoring group at the
Center. The assistance she received was tailored to meet her
particular learning style. She made noticeable progress,
which in turn strengthened her resolve to find stable
employment. Ms. C successfully trained to become a Certified
Nurse's Assistant and still continued working on her GED
tutorials. Upon passing her GED, she decided that she wanted
to participate in EKG/Phlebotomy training. The training
provider was concerned that Ms. C's basic skills were not
sufficient to pass the training, but an FSS staff person was
able to broker a compromise. The training provider gave the
Center an outline of the vocabulary and math requirements
for the training, and the Center tutored Ms. C (and several
others) for 6 weeks in the subject matter. In the end, Ms. C
and the others in the tutoring session scored the highest in
the class and all got the desired promotions in their
respective places of employment. When Ms. C graduated from
FSS two years later, she bought a multi-family home and
rented the units she did not occupy to Section 8 families.
Housing Authority of
the County of Stanislaus, California
On September 1, 1997, Ms. A signed a Contract
of Participation and enrolled in the FSS program. At
that time, she was receiving TANF cash assistance. She
set goals to enroll in classes to improve her employment
opportunities. She also wanted to become a homeowner.
Once enrolled in the program, Ms. A took
the necessary steps to acquire her GED and improve her
office skills. She initially worked part-time as a
housekeeper for a local charitable services organization,
and with further education and work experience she was hired
on full-time as a caseworker. In 2003, she graduated
from the FSS program with $5,311 in escrow and used those
funds, in conjunction with several other programs, to
purchase her own home. These other programs and
partners included the
Housing
Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (Ventura), California
On April 25th, Ms. C. was handed the keys to
a home of her own. Homeownership didn’t come easy to this
Ventura, single-mother of four. Currently a County of
Ventura employee, this ambitious young woman was once
jobless and homeless.
Ms. C. made her
transition from homeless to homeowner in 6 years. She first
applied for rental assistance from the Housing Authority of
the City of San Buenaventura. After moving to the top of the
waiting list and obtaining a rental voucher, she was able to
move into an apartment with her rent being based on 30% of
her income. Taking advantage of FSS, Ms. C., with the help
of a case manager, developed a five-year plan to seek and
maintain employment, and become economically stable.
Ms. C blossomed
in her job where she earned performance bonuses and service
awards. Her self-esteem and well-spoken demeanor led to her
caseworker encouraging her to apply for a job with the
County of Ventura. Ms. C successfully competed for this
position and has been promoted twice since being employed by
the County. Her salary increases resulted in a rapidly
growing escrow account.
When Ms. C
graduated from the FSS program in August 2002, she had
completed all of her goals and more. She was presented a
check for her escrow account in the amount of $21,624. Her
next goal was to own a home. Before the ink was dry, she was
talking to the Housing Authority staff about using that
money to buy a home, and began searching for a unit. She
soon became the first person in the City of Ventura to take
advantage of the new Section 8 Homeownership Program, which
allows first time homebuyers to use their Section 8
assistance toward mortgage payments under federally
regulated qualifications of income, employment and
homeownership counseling.
This special
federal program, combined with the City of Ventura’s
Homebuyer Assistance Program, and Ms. C’s own savings from
her participation in FSS, resulted in this formerly homeless
woman becoming a homeowner. Ms. C’s determination and
positive attitude were the basis for her success. But the
Section 8 Homeownership Program closed the gap between
renting and owning a home.
As Ms. C. noted
– “I was given an opportunity to participate in the FSS
Program that was described as setting goals and bettering
yourself. This program has changed my life. It has given me
the confidence and ability to provide for my family. I can
now say I am a HOME OWNER. Setting goals and having the
Ventura Housing Authority acting as a mentor has fortified
my family to be self-sufficient. Thank you Ventura Housing
Authority, the City of Ventura and Citi Bank for this once
in a life time opportunity”
