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 the Passaic County Public Housing Agency $222,760 on January 1, 2026, under the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (CFDA 14.896).

The award funds salaries and fringe benefits for FSS Program Coordinators who deliver employment and economic mobility services to low-income families in Wayne, New Jersey. FSS coordinators enroll and maintain program participants, develop Individual Training and Services Plans in partnership with employers and community service providers, and support families in achieving employment and wage gains over multi-year engagement periods. The agency must maintain a minimum of 25 participating families for the first funded coordinator position and hire or retain one full-time equivalent FSS coordinator per funded position.

The period of performance runs through December 31, 2026. Work is performed in Wayne, New Jersey, where the agency serves residents of public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and Project-Based Rental Assistance properties. Participants are expected to become employed or improve their employment and wages while meeting individual goals over the 5–7 years of their contract of participation in the program.

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.