San Bernardino, CA— Rep. Aguilar announced $338,091 for the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program at the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB). This US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding will help provide families the resources they need to become home owners and achieve professional goals such as career development and higher education.

“For too many people in our community, the dream of home ownership is increasingly out of reach as home prices throughout our state continue to soar. In Congress, one of my top priorities is expanding affordable home ownership opportunities for families in the Inland Empire because everyone deserves a chance to be successful. I look forward to seeing this funding boost this important program and help more families in the Inland Empire secure financial independence and a home of their own,” said Aguilar.

George Silva, Family Empowerment Services Manager for the FSS Program at HACSB, said, “We are excited and proud to have been approved for renewed funding to support the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB) Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program. The FSS program provides individuals and families with resources to overcome barriers to self-sufficiency, empowering them to pursue personal and professional goals such as higher education, career development, and homeownership, while building savings in an escrow account. Upon successful completion of the FSS program contract, participants graduate from the program are eligible to receive the balance of that escrow account. Many families use those savings toward a down-payment on a home. The Family Self-Sufficiency grant provides administrative funding which directly supports HACSB’s FSS program. The grant funds three (3) HACSB Self-Sufficiency Specialist positions. The Self-Sufficiency Specialists work collaboratively with individuals and families participating in HACSB’s FSS program to develop self-sufficiency-oriented goals and action plans to increase economic opportunity, with the final goal being economic self-sufficiency.  The Self-Sufficiency Specialists also develop partnerships with local service providers such as America’s Job Center of California and the SAC Health Institute to offer free career training resources as well as health and wellness care to FSS program participants. Through the connection to these and other resources, families are able to increase their income and reduce or eliminate the need for government assistance. Four families graduated from HACSB’s FSS program in 2021, with an average savings balance of more than $12,000.”

Rep. Aguilar serves as Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, the committee responsible for funding HUD and other federal agencies and programs.

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