1. HUD updates on the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program
Jogchum Poodt,
PIH FSS Program Administrator, HUD
Texas Housing Association Conference
August 13, 2019

2. Agenda Current Budget & Funding Performance Measurement Methodology
Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act
RAD – Implications for FSS/ROSS
FSS Information & Technical Assistance
Q&A

3. Current Budget Situation
FY17
Fy18
FY19
FY20 President’s Budget
FSS
$75m
$75
$80
ROSS-SC
$35m
$35 $0
Jobs Plus
$10m
$15

4. Funding FY18 Renewal NOFA awards made Feb, 2019
Pre-award funds
Period of performance
NEW PHA APPLICANTS NOFA was due June 13, 2019 (using FY18 and FY19 funds)
Expecting announcement of awardees by September 30, 2019
New regulations will not be in place in time for them to affect FY19 funding
Look to FY20 for PBRA owners to apply for funding (if available)
FY19 Renewal
FY19 New applicants

5. FSS Performance Measurement Methodology (Composite Score)
Three Metrics
Household Earnings Growth
Comparison family for each participant family (age, baseline earnings, length of time in housing assistance)
Looking at cohort who entered FSS years ago
Graduation Rate
% of FSS participants that enrolled 8-10 years ago that have graduated.
FSS Participation Rate
# of households at the PHA compared to minimum # required to be served by the grant
All based on PIC data
Will not apply to PBRA properties, MTW PHAs or un- funded PIH FSS programs in FY19
FSS Performance Measurement Methodology (Composite Score)

6. PIH FSS Reporting/Evaluation
FY15 grants were last year for Logic Model
50058 Section 17 reporting is CRITICAL
PIH Notice on FSS Reporting in PIC
Followed by a webinar
NOFA will not allow ad hoc reports to support eligibility
Performance Measurement Methodology (Composite score) FINAL published November 15, 2018.
25th anniversary of FSS was years/
FSS Webpage has all FSS reports/evaluations
Send any we missed!
FSS Longitudinal Evaluation - ongoing
PIH FSS Reporting/Evaluation

7. FSS Re-Authorization Legislation Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act 05/24/2018 Became Public Law No: (proposed as S. 2155) The Easy Stuff
Permanentize expansion to Multi-Family (PBRA) owners
MF-only programs or Cooperative Agreement with PHA
PHAs w Cooperative Agreement can use NOFA funds to serve PBRA FSS participants
FSS Graduates from any rental program count toward reduction in HCV mandatory program size (Permanent)
Codify funding formula into law
Eliminates the reduction in escrow for families between 50% and 80% AMI
Makes period of eligibility for funds 3 years (will allow re-captured funding to be used again for new awards)

8. Other statutory changes
Old statute required CoP be signed (and completed) by Head of Household
New Statute reads that the CoP may be signed by any member of the family.
Old statute had the CoP lasting 5 years from execution of CoP
New statute has CoP lasting 5 years from first re-certification after execution of CoP
Old statute had forfeited escrow go back to Op Fund or HAP
New statute says forfeited escrow “shall be used by the eligible entity for the benefit of participating families in good standing.”
HCV-Homeownership voucher residents are not eligible to participate in FSS

9. More proposed changes Remove 30% rule
Expand reasons for extension (e.g. “good cause” means circumstances beyond the control of the FSS family, as determined by the PHA, such as a serious illness or involuntary loss of employment or active pursuit of an educational goal that will result in employment during the period of extension (e.g. completion of a college degree during which the participant is un- or under-employed)….A contract may not be extended for the sole purpose of increasing escrow amounts.)
Remove “12 months” from welfare-free requirement
Allow completion of CoP on basis of disability

10. More changes/clarifications
Changed effective date of CoP to date of execution. Currently, 1st of the month following date of execution
Remove 120 day rule
Programs may not impose mandatory goals across the board beyond HUD’s required final goal (employment). All goals must be individualized.
Streamlines escrow calculation and escrow calculation worksheet
Portability (conforms with PIH )
Receiving PHA no longer has discretion to enroll porting FSS participant into receiving PHA’s FSS program – now MUST enroll or be party to an agreement that the porting participant will continue enrollment in originating PHA’s FSS program.
If receiving PHA does not have FSS program, originating FSS program is required to discuss options and impact with family.

11. Next Steps
HUD Office of General Counsel, Office of Legislation and Regulation will draft new regulations
Internal HUD Clearance
OMB Clearance
Congressional Clearance
Published in the Federal Register for Public Comment
PUBLIC COMMENT
Repeat steps 2-4
Publish final regulation

12. RAD – Implications for FSS/ROSS
Webinar for RAD SMEs on impact of RAD on “people” programs (FSS, ROSS, EDSC, Jobs Plus, EID) – Field Office Grant Managers and RAD SMEs have access to it on
FSS
Convert from PH to PBV – no changes other than source of escrow because FSS programs have been merged since FY14.
Convert from PH to PBRA
May use existing FSS grant to continue to serve RAD-affected FSS participants
BUT if convert entire stock to PBRA (no more ACC or HCV/PBV) = no longer eligible to apply for FSS funding.
MUST continue to serve all FSS participants regardless of conversion until CoP ends.
ROSS -
Convert from PH to HCV or PBRA
Can use rest of ROSS grants already made, but units no longer qualify for future ROSS
See PIH (HA), REV-3

13. FSS Information & Technical Assistance
– for all FSS questions
FSS website -
Sign up for the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program Listserv
FSS Guidebook and Online Training published on HUD Exchange
Informed by FSS Community of Practice
Applicable to all Service Coordination programs
mandatory for FY18 FSS funding
FSS Information & Technical Assistance

14. Questions? Comments?