WASHINGTON, DC In an effort help Rhode Island families receiving housing assistance become more financially self-sufficient, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), ranking member of the Senate Housing Subcommittee, today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is awarding several housing authorities throughout the state of Rhode Island over $700,000 in federal funding through the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)-Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Program. This federal funding will enable housing authorities across our state to maintain highly qualified staff to help the many Rhode Islanders that they work with become more financially independent. Reed stated. The work that HCV-FSS program coordinators provide is invaluable. I am pleased that they have received this federal funding to continue to provide Rhode Island families with the skills, education, and services needed to find higher paying jobs to get on the path to economic self-sufficiency.Through the HCV-FSS program Public Housing Authorities (PHA) work with welfare agencies, schools, businesses, and other local partners to develop a comprehensive program that gives participating FSS family members the skills and experience to enable them to obtain employment and become financially independent. Among other things, the HCV-FSS program provides child care, transportation, education, job training and employment counselling, substance abuse treatment and counselling, household skill training, and homeownership counselling. Federal funding helps to pay the salary of FSS Program Coordinators and Homeownership Program Coordinators that link program participants to training and supportive services necessary to achieve economic independence and self sufficiency. The housing authorities (HA) receiving HUD funds are: Bristol HA $36,000.00 Central Falls HA $62,203.00 Coventry HA $49,560.00 Cumberland HA $48,921.00 East Providence HA $38,000.00 HA of the City of Providence $122,762.00 HA of the Town of East Greenwich $54,338.00 HA Pawtucket $55,000.00 Narragansett HA $74,923.00 Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation $63,630.00 North Providence HA $54,065.00 Woonsocket HA $55,000.00 Total: $714,402.00