Money Smart Classes: Case management staff, in partnership with financial organizations trained in FDIC curriculum, offer quarterly Money Smart classes at our public housing communities. Topics include: borrowing basics, pay yourself first, banking services, budgeting, repairing your credit, and homeownership.

Back To School Drives: FSS case managers organize back-to-school drives to help residents with costs of school supplies. The funds raised pay for school supplies, uniforms, immunizations and haircuts.

Health Fairs: Case managers participate in and support community health fairs.

Employment Fairs: Family Self-sufficiency provides residents information on upcoming job fairs and assists with transportation, resume preparation, interview technique and necessary job skills.

Summer Youth Employment: HABC provides youth, ages 14 to 24, the opportunity to learn on-the-job training during the summer months. Employment may be with HABC or with one of our partners.

Thanksgiving Baskets: During the holiday season, case and property management staff identify needy families and supply holiday meals to them.

The Education and Employment Program is a training program designed to assist residents of public housing with personal and technical job skills. This training helps qualified residents in pursuing careers in areas such as maintenance trades, computer technician, health-related occupations and office administration.

The program includes the following:

• Life Skills and Job Readiness Classes
• Vocational Training
• GED and Continuing Education
• On-the-Job Training

The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program is a voluntary five-year incentive program that allows Housing Choice Voucher and Public Housing residents to accrue money in an escrow account as their earned income increases, allowing participants to become self-sufficient. Any increases in the family’s rent as a result of increased earned income during the family’s participation in the program results in a credit to the family’s escrow account. Once a family successfully graduates from the program, they may access the escrow and use it for any purpose. The FSS program does not affect eligibility for continued housing.

Upon successful completion of the FSS program, the escrow money saved can be used for any financial or educational goal the participant chooses. While completing homeownership and credit counseling classes may be required goals, the main purpose of the FSS program is to educate and transition FSS participants towards economic independence and financial empowerment.

The FSS Coordinator works with FSS participants in creating a plan to meet both individual and program goals. In conjunction with community partners, participants will be assisted with the tools needed to become self-sufficient, including but not limited to:

• Job Skills Training
• Employment counseling
• Educational and scholarship opportunities
• Homeownership classes and counseling
• Financial literacy classes and counseling

All Bexar County residents receiving assistance through the Housing Authority of Bexar County’s (HABC) Housing Choice Voucher or Public Housing programs are eligible to participate in the FSS program, including all adult family members. As the requirement of the program dictates, only earned wages are calculated for the escrow incentive.

The HCV program (also known as Section 8) is the government’s primary program to assist income-eligible households with the opportunity to afford decent, safe and sanitary housing.

The Housing Authority of Bexar County (HABC) is the public housing agency that administers the Housing Choice Voucher program in Bexar County, and adherence to HUD regulations.

Eligibility is determined based on the total annual income and family size of the household. Annual income cannot exceed 50% of the area median income for Bexar County. Family assets are also taken into consideration when determining eligibility.

The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program for homeless veterans combines Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at VA medical centers and community-based outreach clinics.

Homeless veterans are screened by the VA and then referred to HABC.

Homeless veterans only.