Top from left, Liliana Lizalde, Roberto Barboza, Esvin Almengor, Jose Garcia Hernandez, Jose Miguel Avila Vazquez, Diego Velasquez Guerrero, Lucia Vasquez Diaz Bottom from left, Guillermo Blanco, Maria Blanco, Claudia Cerda, Dora Barraza, Brigitte Mendoza, Laura Hernandez Romero, Tanya Pionke, Ivonne Ugalde, Luz, Rodriguez, Erika Baldenegro, Adela Guzman, Dulce Astorga (FSS Coordinator), Christina Velez, Monique Franco, Lucia Jimenez, Megan Turley (HA commissioner), Pat Wheatley (HA Chair commissioner), Rob Fredericks (HA Executive Director, CEO). Courtesy photo.
SANTA BARBARA — The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara (HACSB) on March 17 celebrated the 24 graduates who have completed the organization’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program with a dinner at the Presidio Springs property, located at 721 Laguna St. Among the 24 graduates, seven have transitioned out of the Housing Authority program, and one graduate is a homeowner.
The FSS Program is a voluntary five year program in which a plan is developed with each participant to design a clear path of specific goals and objectives in order to achieve living wage employment and gain economic self-sufficiency.
Participants are required to sign a Contract of Participation with HACSB that outlines the services to be provided and the obligations required during participation. Throughout the five year contract, the FSS case manager monitors a participant’s progress and assists the participant by providing referrals and services so they may successfully complete each level on their journey to self-sufficiency.
“This program gives our participants incentives to create and maintain and reach their goals in a tangible way,” said Rob Fredericks, HACSB CEO. “As always, part of the mission of the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara is to provide our residents with opportunities to improve their lives in a variety of ways and put them on a path for better economic independence, including homeownership.”
The ultimate goal of FSS is to help participants achieve their own personal goals and greater socio-economic advancement, including college degrees, professional careers and first-time home ownership.FSS services may include education and vocational training, career planning, resume writing, interview preparation, job search assistance, financial planning and homeownership preparation.
About Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara
The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara is a local public agency created for the purpose of providing safe, decent, and quality affordable housing and supportive services to eligible persons with limited incomes, through a variety of federal, state, local and private resources. Since 1969, the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara has developed and/or secured over 4,000 units of affordable rental housing for Santa Barbara through a variety of federal, state, local and private funding sources. For more information, please visit www.hacsb.org