HUD Awards $14M to Help Public Housing Residents Secure Higher Paying Jobs

To help low-income public housing residents increase their income and move toward self-sufficiency, HUD recently awarded $14 million to seven public housing authorities (PHAs). HUD's Jobs Plus Initiative connects public housing residents with employment, education, and financial empowerment services—a proven model to help public housing residents find and keep better paying jobs.

HUD's Jobs Plus Initiative combines traditional employment, training, and job placement services with a rent incentive and a place-based investment in building "community support for work." According to HUD, the program addresses poverty among public housing residents and creates a culture of work and making working families the norm. Jobs Plus services are tailored to residents' individual needs and are drawn from a menu of on-site and referral services. For unemployed residents, case managers will help identify short- and long-term employment goals and create plans to accomplish them. Employed individuals can work with case managers to take the necessary steps to advance in the labor market.