To: Contra Costa County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners
From: Joseph Villarreal, Executive Director
Date: September 12, 2023
Report Title: Presentation Concerning the Housing Authority's Family Self-Sufficiency and Voucher Homeownership Programs
RECOMMENDATIONS:
RECEIVE presentation concerning the Housing Authority's Family Self-Sufficiency and Voucher Homeownership Programs.
BACKGROUND:
A key component of the Las Deltas conversion project is the development of wealth-building opportunities for former residents of Las Deltas, current and past North Richmond residents and clients in the Housing Authority's (HACCC) voucher programs. HACCC has two successful, existing wealth-building programs we hope to leverage in partnership with the developers being awarded units in a separate board order. These are the Family Self-sufficiency (FSS) and Voucher Homeownership programs.
The FSS program promotes increased earnings and savings among families receiving HUD-funded rental assistance via two main features: case management and financial coaching services along with a financial incentive. FSS participation is voluntary and typically lasts for up to five years, with a possible extension up to a total of seven years. FSS is unique from many other governmental programs designed to promote work among low-income people: participation is voluntary, goals are primarily client-driven, it encourages pursuit of long-term higher earnings through education and training, and families can build substantial savings at no additional cost to them (HUD funds the savings account for all clients who meet program requirements). These features, combined with the residential stability that receipt of federal rental assistance provides, offer participating families greater opportunities to improve their long-term economic well-being.
A recent study showed that during the ten-year period from 2007 to 2016, nearly 37,000 households graduated from a local PHA-administered FSS progr...
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