What is the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS)? FSS is a program to help Section 8 participants develop and continue educational and career goals. Participants are encouraged to seek training or education that will enable them to work or improve their current employment situation. Participants in FSS may be referred to a variety of resources to help them achieve their goals.
If you are a current Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) participant and are interested in our FSS program, complete this application and return it to Deborah Dyar at 3989 Ruffin Road, San Diego, CA 92123 or by fax: 858-514-6558 or by e-mail: Deborah.Dyar@sdcounty.ca.gov If you are accepted into the program, you will be signing a Contract of Participation similar to this sample contract. The contract outlines your rights, responsibilities and the steps towards success that you will take while in the program. The contract is for five years, though not everyone will need five years to become self-sufficient.
Annual Update - throughout the year you will be required to update us with your progress. The updates will be mailed to you and also made available to you here to fill out and e-mail back to us. There is no update due at this time. You can download last year's Word version or the PDF version if you haven't sent it in yet.
Family Self-Sufficiency offers scholarship programs for current FSS participants and household members that will be attending a college or university, technical school, or vocational school in Fall 2010. To be considered for a scholarship, you must complete and return the application, including the required essay; be enrolled in our Family Self-Sufficiency program with a contract end date no earlier than December 31, 2010; and provide proof of enrollment in a university, community college, technical/vocational school, or GED exam scheduled for the Fall of 2010. The application submittal deadline has been extended to August 1, 2010. If you have additional questions you can contact the FSS staff at (858) 694-4823.
Newsletter - As a way to stay in touch with you, we are putting together newsletters to keep you informed of resources, programs, events, and success stories from your fellow participants.
Resources - Visit the links below for help with your goals to become self-sufficient:
-Looking for work? Visit your local Career Center for job search workshops, access to computers to do your job search and apply for jobs, information, referrals to training programs and much more.
-Basic money skills and financial training available on your home computer. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) offers computer and web based training in English or Spanish. Visit their web site for a free CD of the Money Smart program or to access their online version.
-Need help with something else? Dial 2-1-1 from your phone or visit their web site. This new phone number and web site has information on just about anything you could need.
-Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). If you worked last year, you may be eligible to EITC. Learn more about EITC and how to get help filling out your tax forms.
-Need help budgeting your money? Looking for credit counseling or education? Want to attend a first time home buyer class? Consumer Credit Counseling Services (CCCS) can help you. They offer services by phone, over the web, in their office or in a classroom setting. Visit the CCCS web site to learn more about their services and classes.
-GreatSchools, a national non-profit educational resource for parents who live in public housing or who receive HCV assistance, has a free web-based tool to assist parents in choosing the best school for their children. The site features 2,000 articles and videos on how parents can help their children be successful in school.
