[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Pages 25558-25559]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES COMMISSION

 Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the work of 
the Hous- ing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County, MD. Today, 
the Housing Opportunities Commission is celebrating the 10th 
anniversary of its Family Self Sufficiency, FSS, program, which helps 
low-income families with section 8 housing vouchers or living in public 
housing meet their educational and employment goals. The Housing 
Opportunities Commission has established a wonderful program that 
provides resources to low-income families to help them find and retain 
employment along with the opportunity for families to put away savings. 
These savings allow families to pay for educational opportunities, 
transportation or even the purchase of a home. While many housing 
authorities operate Family Self Sufficiency programs, I believe that 
the Housing Opportunities Commission has done an extraordinary job of 
helping its residents achieve economic independence.
  In the 10 years that the Commission has operated the Family Self 
Sufficiency program, almost 350 people have graduated and are well on 
their way to financial independence. These families faced significant 
barriers to gaining employment--33 percent were on welfare or were 
unemployed, many had no high school degree and 95 percent are single 
parents. Despite these obstacles, all 347 graduates have been able to 
retain stable employment, and 25 percent of the FSS graduates have 
purchased their own homes, a remarkable achievement.
  The Housing Opportunities Commission, HOC, has been committed to this 
important program for 10 years. By providing intensive case management, 
opportunities for education and job training and assistance in finding 
and paying for child care, HOC has ensured that the families enrolled 
in FSS can make the transition from welfare to work a successful one.
  In addition to working to better the lives of Montgomery County 
residents, the Housing Opportunities Commission

[[Page 25559]]

has been a strong advocate for the program, helping me and others in 
Congress fight to continue and even expand the FSS program. In 1998, my 
colleagues and I fought to keep this program and thankfully, we were 
able to strengthen it by requiring that certain increases in income 
were disregarded for purposes of determining the amount of rent a 
family pays. Families who take part in FSS and increase their incomes 
are able to save money in an escrow account instead of paying more in 
rent. This is a great encouragement for families to find better 
employment, and it ensures that funds are available when necessary for 
emergencies. In addition, last year, I introduced legislation which 
would expand the program so that families living in project-based 
section 8 developments could also benefit from a housing agency's self-
sufficiency programs.
  The Family Self Sufficiency program is one that changes lives for the 
better, and that is evident when looking at this year's participants in 
HOC's program. This year, 36 new families will graduate from the FSS 
program in Montgomery County, and I want to recognize the work that 
they have done to become self-sufficient. Ninety-two percent of these 
graduates have participated in education and/or job training courses 
and seven graduates have become homeowners.
  These individuals are not only better positioned to participate in 
the job market, but they are providing stability for their families and 
models for their communities. The staff at HOC and the graduates of the 
FSS program, present, past, and future, are to be commended for their 
efforts.

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