CHAC: Family Self Sufficiency Program

CHAC: The Chicago Housing Voucher Program

Participants / Family Self Sufficiency Program

	Helping people help themselves. FSS gave Katherine the support she needed to start a restaurant.

CHAC's Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS)

Finish high school or college
Find a good job
Move up the career ladder
Start a savings account
Buy your own home
Start your own business

For individuals with a voucher, any of these goals are closer than you might think. CHAC?s Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS) is a five-year program, designed to help participants achieve financial independence. Under FSS, participants enter into a contract with CHAC that identifies educational, career, financial and other goals, then a client service representative helps the client develop a plan of action that outlines specific activities and services needed to achieve those goals. Such services include: education and job training, social services, business development, credit counseling, legal assistance, job placement and self-help workshops.

Throughout the five-year period, the client service representative serves as coach and advisor, monitoring the participant?s progress and helping him or her to reach the next level. The best part of FSS is a saving program. As participants reach their goals, their income is likely to increase, causing their portion of the rent to increase. When this occurs, an amount equal to the increase is set aside in an escrow account for the participant. When the FSS contract is successfully completed, the participant receives all of the money in the account plus interest.

Since its inception, more than 484 individuals have graduated from FSS, sharing over $4.5 million, in escrow funds. Graduates have bought their own homes, finished their degrees and started their own businesses.

FSS is open to families in the Chicago Housing Choice Voucher Program. Participation is voluntary. To find out more about CHAC's Family Self-Sufficiency Program, please attend one of the Special Programs Information Sessions offered each month.

DOWNLOAD:
Calendar of Events
A Participant’s Guide to the Chicago Housing Choice Voucher Program
Special Programs Interest Form


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