Federal funds extended to lift families from poverty

WESLACO -- The Hidalgo County Housing Authority has been awarded a grant of more than $37,000 to help low-income families move out of subsidized housing.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also extended federal funds to Pharr, Mission and Brownsville as part of a nationwide effort that is expected to bring more than $2.2 million to housing authorities across Texas.

The money is provided through the Housing Choice Voucher Family Self-Sufficiency Program, an initiative geared toward helping families already in subsidized housing achieve economic independence.

"It allows a family to get out of the rut of being assisted by the government and be self-sufficient," said Armando Salinas, the director of the self-sufficiency program for Hidalgo County. "Once the family becomes self-sufficient, it gives them a sense of self-esteem."

In Hidalgo County, 45 families are already participating in the eight-year-old program, which gives families a housing voucher and subsidizes their rent based on the household income, Salinas said. In turn, families sign a contract promising to advance their education, among other things.

As the family makes more money, their share of the rent increases, Salinas said.

The housing authority also coordinates with other area agencies to provide job training and educational and other social services, Salinas said. The county can accommodate up to 57 families.

HUD is awarding more than $49 million to housing authorities across the country.

At the Brownsville Housing Authority, where 106 families are enrolled in the program, an average of three families become completely self-sufficient every year, caseworker Cesar Barrera said.

"We're actually trying to enroll more families," he said.

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Sean Gaffney covers business, the economy and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4434.

Grant amounts awarded to Rio Grande Valley housing authorities and the state of Texas as a whole:

>> Brownsville: $83,868

>> Hidalgo County: $37,091

>> Mission: $62,023

>> Pharr: $59,600

>> Port Isabel: $25,757

>> Texas: $2,272,895