Helping Section 8 Participants Realize Their Dreams

When she was a Section 8 voucher holder, Susie felt like there weren’t many resources to support her goals to attain financial stability and be able to better provide for herself and her children – that is, until she found support, encouragement, and connections through the Family Self-Sufficiency program, which she is forever grateful for. 

Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program designed to help Section 8 voucher holders achieve economic independence. Participating families set personal goals to achieve by the end of the five-year contract period; these usually include more education or job training, obtaining employment, and becoming free of cash public assistance benefits. NYCHA’s Office of Resident Economic Empowerment & Sustainability (REES) manages FSS. 

Susie is one of 26 recent FSS participants who were celebrated by REES at the end of 2021 for graduating from the program and meeting their goals. Though the program is personalized to each participant’s goals, REES periodically holds graduation ceremonies to acknowledge their accomplishments over their five-year contract. 

Before receiving a Section 8 voucher, Susie had been through homeless shelters and, as a single mother, she wanted to provide a better life for herself and her daughter. She said that finding FSS “kept me in line in setting my priorities and meeting my goals.”  

One of her goals was to finish her education, which she did when she completed a degree from City College in mechanical engineering and later completed certificates in construction management and electrical technology. She has since prospered in a career as a project coordinator working on transit safety issues.  

“If you have the urge to pull yourself out of economic struggles, this is such a wonderful program,” Susie said. “As I dove into the program, I learned about all these classes offered: GED, college courses, opening your own business, or for going back to school for carpentry or some type of trade. They help you manage your money, which is something I greatly benefitted from. It’s like a library of resources to help you do whatever it is that you think of.” 

In addition to education, career counseling, job training, and money management, a savings account managed by NYCHA is set up for participants. The account grows as a participant’s household income increases and, once the participant graduates, they receive the money to help advance their personal goals. Graduates have used their savings for down payments on homes, higher education, and to start businesses. With the money she received from her escrow account, Susie hopes to buy her own home. 

Gilda Pena is another recent FSS graduate whose goals were to finish her education and learn more about creating additional streams of income. In 2019, she completed her master’s degree in public administration from Metropolitan College of New York and completed programs on opening a small business.  

Ms. Pena said the first thing the program did for her was provide her with a support system of people who encouraged her: “If you don’t have a support system, look for a support system at places like NYCHA and other organizations in the community. These are organizations and people that want to help. You have to start somewhere; if you just dedicate yourself to finish it, whatever your goals are, they can be reached.” 

Prior to the pandemic, she worked as a direct support professional, helping people with disabilities find resources in the community, and was planning on opening a food business. However, as a mother of four, she had to focus on her children. She said the knowledge she gained in the FSS program is helping as she explores learning the business side of construction or opening a distribution or food company. 

“The FSS program really provides motivation and helps you see outside of what you think is available to you,” Ms. Pena said. “Getting financial counseling is imperative to any type of success in our society. If you don’t know how to manage money, you’re just in the cycle of getting and spending, getting and spending. I grew up in a home where nobody told me about banks, about credit, life insurance. The FSS program gives you the education – it’s not just about being given something, but being given tools to know how to manage it.” 

NYCHA launched its FSS program in 2011, and since then many participants have graduated with substantial escrow payments that they can use to advance the next stage of their life goals. Currently, there are 920 participants in the program with approximately $3,179,000 in escrow. 

NYCHA manages approximately 85,500 Section 8 vouchers, the largest program of its kind in the country. Any household receiving Section 8 that is in good standing is eligible for the program. 

To learn more about FSS, visit www.OpportunityNYCHA.org/FSS, email nychafss@nycha.nyc.gov, or call REES at 718-289-8100.