Inkster, Michigan, April 9, 2021— The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the Inkster Housing Commission $227,860 under the Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Grant program. Ross Grant funds will help the agency hire a Service Coordinator for a 3-year period. The Service Coordinator will assist public housing families with financial literacy, employment and job readiness, and post-secondary education opportunities.
The program is intended to serve the entire 751 households within the Inkster Housing Commission portfolio.
In addition, the Service Coordinator will provide case management, assess residents’ needs and work in partnership with local service providers to remove barriers so that residents can become self-sufficient. “Self-sufficiency” is defined as a household’s ability to maintain financial, housing and personal/family stability.
“The Inkster Housing Commission Board of Directors and staff would like to thank the HUD team for selecting and awarding Inkster Housing Commission the ROSS Grant,” said Inkster Executive Director Aaron Cooper. “This funding will allow Inkster Housing to further its mission by aiding residents in their financial, educational, and employment goals,” he said.
“The ROSS Grant will allow us to engage our residents and partners at a level that would have been impossible without these funds,” said Cooper. We are excited to track and report the successes from the program to demonstrate just how important this funding is to the Commission and more importantly to our residents.”
Recently appointed HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge stated in a media release about the awards, “We are excited to work with our local housing partners to help public housing residents find jobs and opportunities that will propel them forward.”
About Inkster Housing Commission
The Inkster Housing Redevelopment Commission (IHRC) was created in 1950 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Initially, the IHRC was a municipal department of the city of Inkster, a small, urban, blue-collar community 20 miles from Detroit. In 2004, IHRC became an independent, self-sustaining, HUD-funded nonprofit agency, following a change in state law which made all housing authorities independent of municipalities.
IHRC is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners appointed by the Mayor of Inkster, Michigan, to 5-year staggered terms. IHRC’s mission is to provide decent, safe, and affordable housing for lower-income persons.
IHRC administers two HUD programs, Public Housing, and the Section 8 Housing Voucher Choice Program (HCVP). IHRC’s programs provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. The HCVP Program provides rental assistance/subsidies and 751 Section 8 Vouchers for eligible families living in private housing. IHRC provides housing and/or housing assistance to nearly 3,000 persons of whom approximately 1,500 are children under the age of 18.
By promoting personal, economic, and social upward mobility, our residents are encouraged to transition from subsidized to unsubsidized housing in the private sector.
About HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development)
HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. More information about HUD and its programs is available at www.hud.gov and https://espanol.hud.gov.
