Community Engagement
With a staff of nine skilled professionals (including case managers, coordinators, directors, program managers and a community coach), Wilmington Housing Authority’s Community Engagement team is focused on helping public housing residents achieve economic and housing self-sufficiency.
Its three signature programs – Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS), Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) and Jobs Plus help families and individuals increase earned income, reduce the need for welfare assistance and achieve progress toward economic independence. For elderly or disabled residents, programs help improve living conditions and enable residents to age in place.
Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS):
The goal of ROSS is to help public housing achieve economic and housing self-sufficiency. ROSS case managers and service coordinators develop plans-including programs, classes, and services — customized to each participant’s unique needs and situation.
Among the services and programs offered are:
• Introductions and links to local resources and community-based organizations
• Resume development/job search
• Help to alleviate food insecurity through partnerships with local food pantries
• Guidance and information on Social Security and veteran’s benefits
• Classes in financial literacy
• Life skills training
• Coordination of health care services
• Childcare and early childhood education
• Feast Down East dispatches a mobile market with locally grown produce to WHA communities
• An alliance with UNCW’s School of Nursing conducts health fairs
• Consultations with a mobile team from Excite Credit Union
• Referrals for children to after-school programs, summer camps and GLOW Academy.
Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS)
The Family Self-Sufficiency program is an opportunity for families to invest in themselves and their future. It is open to any Housing Choice Voucher Program participant or public housing resident.
The program consists of an escrow account for residents or HCVP participants who are working. If a new job, promotion or raise causes their rent to rise, that increased amount is paid into the resident’s escrow account and may be accessed over five years.
FFS helps participants reach career and financial stability, reduce dependency on assistance, and get on the road to practical goals such as becoming homeowner ready, establishing credit, or furthering education.
To qualify, FSS participants must meet a series of self-chosen attainable goals and obligations such as:
• Credit counseling
• Financial literacy
• Finishing education
• Obtaining a driver license
• Getting out of debt/increasing credit score
• Home ownership preparation
For more information:
Public Housing residents: Charmaine Hutchens,
chutchens@wha.net
HCVP participants: Swandella Nixon, snixon@wha.net
Becoming a Registered Vendor
Jobs Plus is Wilmington Housing Authority’s all-in-one stop for everything job-related. In addition to maintaining a robust, always-updated job referral bank, Jobs Plus is a comprehensive employment services program offering:
• Frequent Job Fairs across WHA communities featuring multiple employers
• A “Pop-Up” employer series that focuses on a sole employer for a more in-depth briefing
• Financial literacy sessions
• One-on one job and vocational counseling
Jobs Plus partners with Cape Fear Community College and its certification program for medical receptionists, as well as with Step Up Wilmington to offer paid training for a range of occupations.
For more information, please contact Jasmine Henry, jhenry@wha.net
Other Services
• A Multifamily Service Coordinator who assists in Multifamily Housing designed for the elderly and persons with disabilities. This position assists housing residents to work toward financial & physical security and social connections for the delivery of long-term community-based supportive services. Please contact Joyce Magwood, jmagwood@wha.net
• ROTC – relocation orientation training and counseling, which assists displaced residents return to their residences or move to new units in new communities