Families who participate in the federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program are eligible to be part of Idaho Housing’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program. FSS is a voluntary program that helps families become economically independent. Through this program households learn to set goals that always include employment and often include home ownership.
FSS Program participants agree, via a five-year contract, to establish and attain specific goals. The program’s goals include assisting families to become free of all forms of state and federal welfare through employment. FSS Specialists in each branch office meet with household members to establish goals that might include: employment, job training, education, job search, money management, credit repair, and home ownership. Working as a team, the family, local service providers and the FSS Specialists help families identify and eliminate obstacles to self-sufficiency.
Participants may receive an interest-bearing escrow (savings) account that accrues as their household’s portion of the rent increases because of an increase in earned-income. The tax-free account is given to the family when they complete their FSS Contract of Participation and are free of welfare for 12 consecutive months.
Idaho Housing has a Self-Sufficiency video available for interested persons to view at each branch office. For more information contact your local Branch Office or fill out the FSS Interest Form.
Download the PDF brochures below for more information: