Houston Housing Authority is Awarded $980,000 to Provide Supportive Services for Low Income Houstonians

Houston, TX, October 01, 2011 --(PR.com)-- The Houston Housing Authority (HHA) was awarded $983,357 in competitive grants by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funds will help the Agency provide self-sufficiency training and supportive services to public housing residents. The Houston Housing Authority is the state’s largest winner of these highly competitive grants.

"We are thrilled that HUD has recognized the great work that HHA is doing for the families, elderly and disabled residents we serve," said Tory Gunsolley, HHA President and CEO. "These awards are especially meaningful in today’s economic climate. Federal support for programs that help propel people out of poverty is becoming scarce, and these awards will help us get through the next few, difficult years. I am grateful to our staff for the tremendous job they did securing these highly competitive awards."

The largest of the awards, the $720,000 ROSS-SC grant provides funding to hire service coordinators to work with families in HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS). The grant will fund the hiring of three full-time service coordinators who will work with more than 3,100 public housing residents at 14 HHA properties around the city. The $720,000 grant provides funding for three years.

The Housing Authority is also receiving a $210,839 grant to support its Multifamily Housing Service Coordinator Program (MHSC). The program provides supportive services to 200 elderly and disabled residents living at HHA’s Telephone Road Senior Living Apartments. The award allows HHA to expand supportive services for residents, including the addition of two, part-time Elderly Case Workers to support the full-time Elderly Service Coordinator that is already working with Telephone Road’s elderly residents.

An additional $52,518 from the Public Housing Family Self-Sufficiency grant will allow HHA to maintain its full-time Family Self-Sufficiency Coordinator to provide more individualized services and training to families living in HHA developments.

According to Domanique Kimble, a resident of HHA’s Irvinton Village, being a part of the Public Housing Family Self-Sufficiency program has changed her life. She is receiving financial training and planning out her goals for her future.

"I am working with my case worker to plan out how I can accomplish my goals of owning a car and my own home," Kimble said. "This program is great because it is teaching me so much. I want to stay with it to better myself and help my family."

As the Client Services Director for the Houston Housing Authority, Cheryl Rivers understands the important role that case workers play in keeping residents on track to accomplish their goals of owning a home and becoming financially independent.

"We are very excited about the funding we received from HUD," Rivers said. "It will mean that the Housing Authority can expand its capacity to improve the quality of life for thousands of Houston’s public housing residents. Additional staff will help seniors access resources to continue living independently and non-elderly residents will be empowered to pursue life-enhancement opportunities to become economically self-sufficient."

The Houston Housing Authority provides affordable homes and services to more than 55,000 low-income Houstonians. The agency and its affiliates own and operate 25 housing communities with over 5,500 units for families, elderly and disabled residents. HHA’s various voucher programs help over 16,000 low-income households rent affordable apartments throughout Houston. HHA operates the nation’s third largest Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program. More information about HHA can be found at www.housingforhouston.com.

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