HUD AWARDS $49 MILLION IN GRANTS TO HELP LOW-INCOME FAMILIES RECEIVE JOB TRAINING, EMPLOYMENT

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today that public housing agencies across the U.S., Guam and Puerto Rico will receive nearly $49.3 million to provide low-income people with the necessary job training to put them on a path toward self-sufficiency. Funded through HUD's Housing Choice Voucher Family Self-Sufficiency Program (HCV/FSS), the grants allow public housing agencies (PHAs) to work with welfare agencies, schools, businesses, and other local partners to develop a comprehensive program to help participating individuals develop the skills and experience to enable them to obtain jobs that pay a living wage. "In today's economy, this program is needed more than ever to help families obtain the skills that lead to jobs," said Donovan. "On the heels of President Obama signing the jobs bill that will boost job creation, I'm pleased HUD is providing this funding to local housing authorities that will keep caseworkers on the job to assist families in HUD's voucher program find employment." Local housing authorities use the funding to hire family self-sufficiency coordinators to link adults in the Housing Choice Voucher program to local organizations that provide job training, childcare, counseling, transportation and job placement. These housing authorities can also hire coordinators to help families get homeownership counseling. Participants in the HCV/FSS program sign a contract that requires the head of the household will get a job and the family will no longer receive welfare assistance at the end of the five-year term. As the family's income rises, a portion of that increased income is deposited in an interest-bearing escrow account. If the family completes its FSS contract, the family receives the escrow funds that it can use for any purpose, including a down payment on a home, paying educational expenses, starting a business or paying back debts. ### HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to sustaining homeownership; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development ad enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet atwww.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. HCV FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY 2009 FUNDING ALASKA $131,116 NORTH CAROLINA $1,628,128 ALABAMA $742,108 NORTH DAKOTA $201,235 ARKANSAS $765,627 NEBRASKA $308,688 ARIZONA $774,491 NEW HAMPSHIRE $323,414 CALIFORNIA $6,267,830 NEW JERSEY $1,600,629 COLORADO $615,254 NEW MEXICO $554,568 CONNECTICUT $648,316 NEVADA $417,280 FLORIDA $2,100,642 NEW YORK $2,531,924 GEORGIA $906,867 OHIO $2,520,197 GUAM $54,209 OKLAHOMA $433,952 HAWAII $574,348 OREGON $1,583,836 IOWA $930,884 PENNSYLVANIA $1,478,680 IDAHO $481,284 PUERTO RICO $128,063 ILLINOIS $1,458,605 RHODE ISLAND $769,434 INDIANA $1,255,382 SOUTH CAROLINA $404,027 KANSAS $393,733 SOUTH DAKOTA $144,478 KENTUCKY $1,202,165 TENNESSEE $875,531 LOUISIANA $337,553 TEXAS $2,469,020 MASSACHUSETTS $2,099,246 UTAH $541,955 MARYLAND $1,247,410 VIRGINIA $1,271,975 MAINE $347,189 VERMONT $336,993 MICHIGAN $1,097,981 WASHINGTON $1,121,025 MINNESOTA $655,885 WISCONSIN $368,744 MISSOURI $1,013,785 WEST VIRGINIA $277,049 MISSISSIPPI $740,197 WYOMING $34,000 MONTANA $173,963 Total $49,340,895