PAWTUCKET, RI - In an effort to provide wellness services for Rhode Islanders living in public housing, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today announced that housing authorities in Central Falls, Lincoln, and Pawtucket will receive a total of nearly $703,000 in federal funding through the Resident Opportunities for Self Sufficiency (ROSS) Program. The Central Falls Housing Authority will receive $ $212,179; the Lincoln Housing Authority will receive $244,800; and the Pawtucket Housing Authority will receive $245,850. The federal aid will help housing agencies fund service coordinators who assist public housing residents and link them to training and supportive services that will enable participants to progress along the self-sufficiency continuum.

The ROSS grant program provides job training and supportive services, such as transportation, childcare, or family counseling, to help residents of public housing transition from welfare to work.

“This federal funding will allow local housing authorities to provide families and seniors in public housing with critical support services to help them achieve and maintain self-sufficiency. This program is geared towards helping people who want to help themselves,” said Reed, a member of the Banking Committee, which oversees federal housing policy. “The work that ROSS program coordinators do is invaluable. The educational, employment, and life training skills they provide will help more Rhode Islanders live independently.”

The funding will be administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUD).

The ROSS program helps participating families increase earned income; reduce or eliminate the need for welfare assistance; make progress toward achieving economic independence and housing self-sufficiency; or, in the case of elderly or disabled residents, helps improve living conditions and enables residents to age-in-place.