Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara honors 17 Family Self-Sufficiency Graduates
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara honored 17 Family Self-Sufficiency Graduates this week.
36-year-old Cindy Abrajan, who has lived in Santa Barbara her whole life, is one of the FSS graduates and is grateful for the support she has received for her financial and career goals.
“I felt like I had somebody who would back me up if I needed the help,” said Abrajan. “My case workers were always so encouraging. I was able to move forward with my life goals and not feel stuck at one place.”
Through the FSS program, Abrajan had access to money management classes and was able to meet her savings goal, as well as enroll in a medical assistant program at Santa Barbara City College.
Abrajan is excited about what will come next for her and her 5 children.
“Just keep working hard,” said Abrajan. “Our goal is to have a place of our own.”
The FSS Program is a voluntary five-year program in which a plan is developed with each participant to achieve living wage employment and gain economic self-sufficiency.
Participating families are required to sign a Contract of Participation with HACSB that outlines the services provided and the obligations required during participation.
Throughout the five-year contract, the FSS case manager monitors a participant’s progress so they can complete each level on their journey to self-sufficiency.
Ultimately, FSS aims to help participants achieve their own goals including college degrees, professional careers and first-time home ownership.
“We are extremely proud of our Family Self-Sufficiency graduates for achieving this remarkable accomplishment,” said Rob Fredericks, HACSB Executive Director and CEO. “This is a significant achievement that reflects their dedication, hard work, and perseverance and we eagerly look forward to their promising futures ahead.”
For more information, please visit www.hacsb.org.
About Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara
The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara is a local public agency created for the purpose of providing safe, decent, and quality affordable housing and supportive services to eligible persons with limited incomes, through a variety of federal, state, local and private resources. Since 1969, the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara has developed and/or secured over 4,000 units of affordable rental housing for Santa Barbara through a variety of federal, state, local and private funding sources. For more information, please visit hacsb.org.
