2024 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER)

Home Browse Search

in activities. Actions taken to encourage public housing residents to become more involved in management and participate in homeownership HASB participates in the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS).The Family Self-Sufficiency(FSS) program is a voluntary program which supports the strategic goal of increasing economic opportunity for Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher Program Participants. FSS provides grant funding to support an FSS Coordinator who assists participating families receiving housing assistance. FSS Program Coordinators develop local strategies to connect participating families to public and private resources to increase their earned income and financial empowerment, reduce or eliminate the need for welfare assistance, and make progress toward economic independence and self- sufficiency. In the context of the Self Sufficiency account, "self-sufficiency" is defined as a household's ability to maintain financial, housing, and personal/family stability.To achieve self-sufficiency, individuals in a household move along a continuum towards economic independence and stability; such movement is facilitated by the achievement of educational, professional, and health/mental health and financial empowerment-related goals. For the FSS program, self-sufficiency is further defined as a family's ability to maintain itself free from income-based public safety net programs such as TANF, SNAP, Medicaid and housing assistance. Many FSS program participants have expressed interest in becoming homeowners, so HASB has included a HUD approved Housing Counselor to its Program Coordinating Committee as well as help with credit repair, virtual and in person financial literacy classes and employment retention counseling to assist FSS program participants with preparing for homeownership. In 2024, participation in the FSS program increased to over 60. Of those, over half are participating in the escrow piece which encourages saving for homeownership and other financial goals. In 2024 HASB created a Residents Services team to address the needs of the Public Housing residents by connecting them to resources within South Bend. Providing activities to engage and enrich the community and the children of our program participants. We continue to create new opportunities to engage with residents and have discussions relating to methods to improve the quality of life for the residents and their families. Actions taken to provide assistance to troubled PHAs Extensive training for the Board of Commissioners continues to be provided to include the following training designed to make the Board ready, willing, and able to govern the HASB and oversee its progress. The HASB Board and management team supported efforts by the City to improve communication between the two partners. Additionally,the Board passed a Resolution for the acceptance of the HASB portfolio repositioning plan to assist the HASB in recovering from its designated troubled status. CAPER 33 OMB Control No:2506-0117(exp.09/30/2021)