DCHA AWARDED WITH A ROSS GRANT

For the first time in nearly a decade, the District of Columbia Housing Authority was awarded $717,000 in a ROSS grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This funding will be project specific.

The Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) – Service Coordinator Program helps public housing authorities, resident associations, non-profit organizations, and other HUD-funded entities receive funds for service coordinators, who work directly with residents to assess their needs and connect them with education, job training and placement programs, and/or computer and financial literacy services available in their community to promote self-sufficiency. The grant is paid out over a three-year period.

“These funds present a great opportunity for the new leadership at DCHA to facilitate connections between our customers and local programs that will help them meet their needs,” said DCHA Executive Director Tyrone Garrett. “This is exciting because it increases our capacity to position our residents for success.”

DCHA conducted comprehensive needs assessments to find out what the residents at Benning Terrace and Highland Additions would like in terms of service and what they saw as barriers to their self-sufficiency. For example, many people said their health was preventing them from achieving their goals. Once funds arrive, many resources will be aimed towards health and wellness, in addition to employment services.

The grant will support three service coordinators to provide additional screening and help add capacity to programs near the two communities. Those coordinators will also have access to a web of self-sufficiency services that they will be able to connect residents to.

“Providing families who live in public housing the opportunity to invest in themselves is a win-win as it helps them to gain economic and housing independence,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson when the announcement was made. “Today, we’re investing in our residents, offering them the tools they need to build a brighter future for themselves and their children.”