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

The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Public and Indian Housing Office awarded Washington Columbia II Limited Partnership $107,625 under the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (CFDA 14.896) on January 1, 2026, for the period ending December 31, 2026.

The award funds salary and fringe benefits for FSS Program Coordinators who enroll and maintain families in the program, develop individualized training and services plans with participating families, and build partnerships with local employers and service providers. The recipient operates in Boston, Massachusetts. Under the award structure, the recipient must hire or retain one full-time equivalent FSS coordinator position and serve at least 25 participating families during the performance period. FSS coordinators work with low-income families receiving housing assistance through public housing, Housing Choice Voucher, and Project-Based Rental Assistance programs to support employment and economic mobility goals over a five to seven-year participation timeline.

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.