Supportive Services
About BHA Supportive Services & Programs
After housing is secured, the BHA offers resident programs to assist clients with educational, employment or personal goals. The programs are designed to coordinate community services and resources to best serve families in need.
Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS)
The FSS Program is an employment focused, goals oriented program that enables HUD-assisted households to increase their earned income and reduce their dependency on welfare assistance and rental subsidies. Some of the services coordinated through the program include:
- Child care
- Transportation
- Education and job training
- Employment counseling
- Financial literacy
- Homeownership counseling
As earnings increase, the BHA establishes an interest-bearing escrow (savings) account for each participating household. The FSS escrow account is a savings account that the BHA or maintains on behalf of the FSS participant. Participants build savings in an escrow account as their earned income increases. The participant can access the funds in the account while participating in the program to help meet goals the participant is working on. Upon completion of the program, the participant received the funds in the account.
Families receiving assistance from the BHA should discuss participation in the FSS program by contacting: Elizabeth Hacker at ehacker@blha.net or Brittney Willis at bwillis@blha.net
Community Empowerment
What does Self-Sufficiency mean to you? Owning your our own home? Owning a reliable form of transportation? Having an education? Having a career? Being able to afford enough food to feed your family? Having money to save for your or your child’s education?
When most people think of Affordable Housing, they think of it as a chance to get back on their feet or to provide a safe environment while trying to stabilize their future. For many, Affordable Housing is not the end goal, it is a stepping stone towards the goals they want to achieve.
The Step Up Program (previously ROSS program) at the Bloomington Housing Authority is designed to help residents obtain resources necessary to achieve self-sufficiency. Participation in the Step Up Program is entirely voluntary. Additionally, participants must reside in BHA owned affordable housing (Walnut Woods, Crestmont, and Reverend Butler). Barriers can prevent a person from becoming self-sufficient; Step Up is here to help you navigate through and around those barriers to reach your self-sufficiency goals. Every effort you make towards your goals brings you one step closer to being self-sufficient.
Now that you have safe and secure housing, let’s work together to secure your future! Look at all of the services Step Up can assist you with:
- Searching for employment
- Creating a resume
- Preparing for a job interview
- Resourcing interview appropriate clothing
- Nutrition information
- Finding affordable mental health services
- Financial education
- Parenting support
- Finding appropriate services for individuals with disabilities
- Finding appropriate services for seniors
- Services for aging in place
- Finding transportation
- Finding free legal services
- Enrolling in an adult education course
- Applying for a community college or a university
- Obtaining green cleaning supplies to keep your home clean
- Resourcing affordable health services
- Health insurance navigation referrals
- Learning about community resources
- And more!
Contact Leon Gordon at 812-339-3491 x 115 or email lgordon@blha.net to schedule an appointment today!
Landlord Risk Mitigation Fund (LRMF)
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