The family self-sufficiency program (FSS) is governed by section 23 of the 1937 housing act

The Department of Housing and Urban Development Public and Indian Housing Office awarded Wardman UE LP $107,625 on January 1, 2026, under the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (CFDA 14.896).

Wardman UE LP, a Boston-based nonprofit, funds salary and fringe benefits for FSS Program Coordinators who implement the program for residents of public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and project-based rental assistance properties. Coordinators enroll and maintain families in the program, develop Individual Training and Services Plans with participants, and establish partnerships with employers and community service providers. Performance runs through December 31, 2026, with place of performance in Boston, MA 02119.

The FSS program, governed by Section 23 of the 1937 Housing Act, supports approximately 900 programs nationwide operated by public housing authorities and project-based rental assistance property owners. Grantees must maintain a minimum of 25 participating families per funded coordinator position during the calendar year. Over five to seven years of participation, families work toward employment, improved wages, and individual economic goals. Wardman UE LP receives this as a prime project grant with no sub-recipient activity. This award is part of a series of four consecutive annual FSS grants from HUD dating to 2023, with combined obligated dollars of $430,000 across all four awards.

Activities

Funds under FSS grants are used solely to fund salary and fringe benefits for FSS coordinators. Responsibilities of FSS coordinators under the award include, but are not limited to, enrolling, and maintaining families in the program, working with families to prepare individual training and services plans (itsps), and building partnerships with employers and service providers in the community. The required number of participating families that a grantee must maintain is outlined in the funding notice and is based on the number of coordinators for which a grantee receives funding. Generally, the grantee must hire/retain one full-time equivalent (FTE) FSS program coordinator for each funded position. For the first full-time FSS coordinator position funded by HUD, programs must serve at least 25 participating families in FSS during the period of performance (the calendar year following the appropriation), and this number increases by 50 families for each additional funded coordinator after the first.

Expected outcomes

Grantees will hire/retain the number of coordinators for which they are funded. These coordinators will serve at least the minimum number of participants required by the grant. Over the 5-7 years of their contract of participation, participants will become employed or improve their employment and wages and meet other individual goals.

Intended beneficiaries

The intended beneficiaries of FSS are families currently residing in public housing (section 9), families currently participating in the housing choice voucher (section 8) program, and those living in project-based rental assistance (pbra) properties.

Subrecipient activities

The recipient does not intend to subaward funds.