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 Urban Edge $107,625 on January 1, 2026, under the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (CFDA 14.896) to fund salary and fringe benefits for FSS Program Coordinators through December 31, 2026.

Urban Edge, a Boston-based nonprofit, will deploy funded coordinators to enroll and maintain participating families in the program, develop individualized training and services plans, and build partnerships with local employers and community service providers. FSS coordinators work with families receiving housing assistance through public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and Project-Based Rental Assistance to support progression toward economic self-sufficiency over five- to seven-year engagement periods. Urban Edge must maintain at least 25 participating families during the period of performance for the first full-time coordinator position.

The work is performed in Boston, Massachusetts. This is a renewal award; the Family Self-Sufficiency Program funds approximately 900 programs run by public housing authorities and project-based rental assistance property owners nationwide, prioritizing renewal applicants by statute.

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.