Becoming Independent
If you are currently on one of UHDC’s Housing Choice Voucher programs and you would like to be able to afford housing on your own, contact our Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Coordinator, Madria Bagby.
With the help of the FSS Coordinator, you set long-term goals that will ultimately lead to no longer needing government assistance. Past goals have included going to college or vocational educational training, or getting a better job. You would chart a path to your goals and sign a contract, usually for five years, with the FSS Program Coordinator.
After you have been on the program and your situation improves from getting a pay raise or a better job, the difference between the rent you were paying initially and the amount you are paying after receiving an education, training or a better job is deposited into an escrow account each month. You must continue to earn income to receive this deposit. The money in the escrow account, plus interest, will be given to you when you have completed your contract and met your program goals. Several past participants have saved enough money to make a nice down payment on a house!
