TCOG’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program Accepts Grant Award

Nearly $200,000 awarded to TCOG through HUD

SHERMAN, JANUARY 27, 2022 – Eric M. Bridges, Executive Director of Texoma Council of Governments announced today that the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program received a grant award from the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) in the amount of $197,458 to support program administration. “These funds are designed to provide clients with the tools necessary to achieve financial self-sufficiency,” stated Mr. Bridges.

The Family Self Sufficiency Program coordinates Section 8 Rental Assistance with public and private resources to enable families to achieve economic independence. Each participant is required to establish individual goals and achieve them under a five to seven year contract. The theme of Family Self-Sufficiency is to empower people to take control of their lives and become independent, productive members of the community. By combining HUD’s rental assistance program with a package of supportive services, FSS assists families in obtaining the skills they need to achieve financial independence and the pride that goes with it. Research has proven that the FSS program assists families to secure employment, increase wages and accumulate assets.

“People often ask what the Family Self-Sufficiency Program is. I respond it is a program designed to give a hand up, not a hand out. It is a program that changes lives,” stated Rayleen Bingham, TCOG’s Section 8 Program Manager.

TCOG’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program has 94 current participants and 124 clients who have completed the program and graduated, receiving escrow disbursements of $471,561.32 (Average per person $3,802.91). Bingham states the FSS Specialist position is the hub of this program. “It requires in-depth case management and the opportunity to connect on a personal level with the participants. To have a successful program, the specialist is required to assume many different roles; Housing Administrator, Financial Advisor, Information/Referral Specialist, and the most important role, a mentor.” The FSS Specialist is responsible for actively seeking community support and donations. The only portion of FSS funded by HUD is the rental assistance and escrow incentives.

Family Self-Sufficiency provides each participant the ability to achieve their dreams, provide our community with responsible tax-paying citizens and in turn become role models for future generations.

The Texoma Council of Governments is a voluntary association of the local governments in Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson Counties. Established in 1968, the Texoma Council of Governments promotes economy and efficiency in the coordinated planning and development of the tri-county region through its community and economic development activities. Either directly, or through contractors, the Council provides housing, utility assistance, and weatherization services for low-income citizens in the region and assists the elderly through a variety of Area Agency on Aging programs. The Council also facilitates the delivery of grant funding for homeland security and criminal justice.

From Homeless to Hero

SHERMAN, October 16, 2018 – Hard work, perseverance and determination has just paid off for a participant in Texoma Council of Government’s (TCOG) Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program. Just over six years ago, Tavay Carroll enrolled into the FSS Program desperate to make changes in order to ensure a better life for her and her family. After setting and achieving many goals, including obtaining and maintaining full-time employment, Carroll recently received her graduation certificate. Graduation is a big deal for anyone who reaches success in the program; however, Tavay is especially excited because she believes this step not only changed her story but the future story of her girls.

Carroll’s journey of parenthood started out rocky. She made choices that no parent should have to make and then spiraled out of control— she was lost, deep in her emotions. Tavay found herself homeless and living out of her car. She was fighting for her parental rights and desperately needed and desired a change. Shortly after receiving a hand up with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Carroll started helping for herself by making different, positive choices. One of these choices was deciding to put the needs of her family first, which she did by completing an application for the FSS Program.

At TCOG, the FSS program is a voluntary, goal-centered program with monetary incentive in the form of an interest-bearing escrow account available to participants who actively work to increase their wages during the program participation. Participants are given 5 years to achieve their goals with up to 2 years additional time, if needed. Throughout this process, they work with an FSS coordinator who truly becomes one of the family’s loudest and proudest cheerleaders. The ultimate goal of the FSS program is to assist in transitioning families into full economic independence.

Carroll tirelessly worked towards her goals one-by-one and fought daily to be the best version of herself she could be. She led her family by example over the last 5-6 years and it has definitely paid off. Both of Tavay’s daughters recently graduated from Sherman High School. Ysatis, a new student enrolled at Grayson College, will be pursuing a degree in either education or criminal justice. Ymani has bravely answered the call to defend her country with the United States Marine Corps where she currently is fulfilling her commitment at basic training in North Carolina. Carroll’s daughters have witnessed their mother persevere and claim triumph over her trials.

“Tavay’s story is inspiring and a lesson to us all,” said Eric Bridges, Executive Director of TCOG. “It exemplifies what’s possible when a person accepts responsibility, put others ahead of themselves, and perseveres instead of succumbing to life’s challenges; characteristics Tavay has clearly instilled in her children.”

FSS programs everywhere share success stories similar to Carroll, nevertheless she and her family have much to celebrate as they complete their journey from homeless to hero.

As Tavay likes to say, “The FSS program helped me to realize that success is just a failure turned inside-out and anybody can accomplish their goals when they put their minds to it. FSS inspires hope.”

The Texoma Council of Governments is a voluntary association of the local governments in Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson counties. Established in 1968, Texoma Council of Governments promotes economy and efficiency in the coordinated planning and development of the tri-county region through its community and economic development activities. Both directly and through contractors, the Council provides housing, utility assistance, and weatherization services for low-income citizens in the region and assists the elderly through a variety of Area Agency on Aging programs. The Council also facilitates the delivery of grant funding for homeland security and criminal justice.

Attention families looking for Section 8 Housing rental assistance: Watch out for SCAMS. We want you to know that there are no fees needed to apply for Section 8. There are reportedly plenty of websites which claim to be application websites for rental assistance. The only way you can apply for assistance through Section 8 is directly through a local housing authority.

Follow these tips from the Federal Trade Commission to avoid a Section 8 scam:

• Contact your local housing authority to find out how to register for the Section 8 waiting list. You’ll find their email and phone number on the HUD site. Follow their instructions to sign up.
• Housing authorities do not charge fees, and they won’t reach out to you by phone or email to suggest that you join a waiting list. A housing authority also will never ask you to wire money or pay with a prepaid card. Those are sure signs of a scam.
• Treat your Social Security number and other personal information (say, credit card numbers), like cash. Don’t give them out on a website you find through a search.
• Have you seen this kind of scam? File a complaint with the FTC and HUD. Some people have gotten help from the Better Business Bureau, so you also can file a complaint there.

SHERMAN, August 4, 2016 – TCOG Executive Director, Susan B. Thomas, PhD, announced today the award of additional funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the current Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program.

The goal of TCOG’s FSS Program is to work with families who are on the Section 8 rental assistance program to establish personal goals that will ultimately lead them to self-sufficiency without reliance on federal assistance. This goal is accomplished by intense case management and connecting clients to appropriate educational, employment and other necessary services. A contract of participation is developed for each client which outlines their personal goals and the timelines to achieve those goals.

“This additional funding will enable us to further the efforts of TCOG’s FSS program by supporting an additional FSS Coordinator position,” Allison Minton, Client Services Department Director stated. “Our current FSS Coordinator works with 85 clients, more than twice the average caseload. The additional Coordinator will help support our current caseload and reach additional clients with the program; improving and changing lives.” To date, TCOG’s FSS program has graduated over 90 clients who now live independent of federal assistance.

“This program works,” Dr. Thomas said. “There are families living better, more productive lives as a result and we are thrilled to expand the program to offer additional families the opportunity to create a better life for themselves.”

The Texoma Council of Governments is a voluntary association of the local governments in Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson Counties. Established in 1968, the Texoma Council of Governments promotes economy and efficiency in the coordinated planning and development of the tri-county region through its community and economic development activities. Either directly, or through contractors, the Council provides housing, utility assistance, and weatherization services for low-income citizens in the region and assists the elderly through a variety of Area Agency on Aging programs. The Council also facilitates the delivery of grant funding for homeland security and criminal justice.

When disabled veteran Franklin Hotchkiss was paroled in 2008 after serving a four-year prison term for DWI and possession of a controlled substance, he immediately became a statistic. With nowhere to go and no one to turn to, Hotchkiss joined hundreds of other local veterans in homelessness.

“Although I was paroled on November 27, 2008, and I had rededicated my life (to Christ), that didn’t mean my life became perfect,” said Hotchkiss. “I struggled with homelessness and substance abuse, which made it very difficult to become a contributing member of society.”

After more than six years floating around North Texas, Hotchkiss finally latched on. A friend told him about a joint program between the departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, administered through the Texoma Council of Governments.

“The program is designed where the VA provides all of the supportive services — any counseling, any training, any job support — while HUD provides four walls and a roof,” explained TCOG Executive Director Susan Thomas. ” But it’s been established that the program’s not sustainable and the retention levels are really low if that house doesn’t actually become a home for the veteran. So the way that we’ve approached doing that is furnishing the house.”

Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, which began in 2011 with an initial allotment of 25 vouchers, aims to provide many of the day-to-day essentials that previously homeless vets find themselves lacking when they enroll. Doing so, said Thomas, can help mitigate some of the stresses associated with starting a new life.

“The homeless veterans come to us with nothing more than a backpack, oftentimes,” said Thomas. “So they don’t have dishes, sheets, towels, linens, furniture, a couch, a chair, nothing. And so we’ve gone through and established it takes about $2,500 to furnish that apartment very conservatively, and so that’s what our fundraiser is for.”

TCOG administrators gathered at Sherman’s 903 Brewers Saturday afternoon to help chip away at the organization’s $62,500 fundraising goal to bankroll the VASH voucher program. It’s money, they said, that helps to repay individuals to whom society owes a debt.

“The purpose of the program is for us to be able to give our veterans, who have given us so much, the house that they deserve,” said Thomas. “They made a lot of sacrifices — tremendous sacrifice. And many of them are suffering from that sacrifice. They need our support; they need our help; they need us to stand beside them and stand up for them, and this is a way that we can do that.”

TCOG’s VASH program has helped 34 homeless veterans find stability, but more than 130 itinerant veterans are still on the street across Texoma, said Thomas. And for each vet like Hotchkiss who finds and successfully enrolls in the program, the results can be life-changing.

“Having housing assistance has given me a new lease on life,” said Hotchkiss, who is currently pursuing a degree at Grayson College in substance abuse counseling. “This new freedom has given me back my self-esteem, self-worth, and independence. I can now pursue my educational goals at college and have my own place to come home to — to study, cook, sleep and live independently. That’s something I have not experienced in over nine years.”

– See more at: http://heralddemocrat.com/news/local/vash-seeks-cash-help-homeless-vets#sthash.AQWviIo3.dpuf

I am service-connected disabled Veteran who became homeless in 2008 – November 27th, 2008 to be exact. That was the day I got out of prison. I was incarcerated on a four-year sentence for felony DWI and possession of a controlled substance.

I was baptized in the Holy Spirit in the Gurney Unit of TDCJ, and rededicated my life to Christ. Although I was paroled on November 27th, 2008 and I had rededicated my life, that didn’t mean my life became perfect. I struggled with homelessness and substance abuse which made it very difficult to become a contributing member of society. I sought help through many avenues about both my homelessness and substance abuse issues.

I was taken in by my ex-wife in Cooke County and then by some wonderful friends from my church.

In June of 2014 I was awarded Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation benefits from the VA and am now attending Grayson College pursing a degree in Drug and Alcohol Abuse Counseling. I have been clean of any substance abuse for 21 months.

Approximately November, just before Thanksgiving 2014, I was re-acquainted with an old friend who is a HUD-VASH recipient. He told me of his life’s turmoil the last 3 to 4 years and how the HUD-VASH program had changed his life, I applied… and on April 9, 2015 I was approved for the program.

Having housing assistance has given me a new lease on life. This new freedom has given me back my self-esteem, self-worth, and independence. I can now pursue my educational goals at college and have my own place to come home to – to study, cook, sleep and live independently – something I have not experienced in over 9 years.

The HUD-VASH program not only provides me with housing assistance, but through the VA it also provides may other valuable services that help me in achieving my goals and maintaining my sobriety.

I am personally grateful to the Veteran’s Administration and the HUD-VASH program for helping me by giving me this new lease on life and helping me to become a functioning and contributing member of society, a long standing dream.

How you can help

By making a contribution, you can help give a Veteran a fresh start, a place to call HOME.

Donation Type

You may choose to donate an amount different than what is listed below (minimum $5 increments). Simply select one of the values from the drop down menu and continue to PayPal. The payment form will allow you to adjust the quantity of the denomination you select.

Make a choiceHome Sweet Home (All Categories) $2,500.00 USDBunker (Living Room Essentials) $1,000.00 USDRack Room (Bedroom Essentials) $700.00 USDFront Line Funding (Deposit Assistance) $300.00 USDKitchen Patrol (Kitchen Essentials) $250.00 USDLatrine Duty (Bathroom Essentials) $150.00 USDSquared Away (Cleaning Essentials) $100.00 USD
50 Dollars $50.00 USD25 Dollars $25.00 USD10 Dollars $10.00 USD5 Dollars $5.00 USD

If you would like to make a contribution in an amount other than what is listed above, please contact Rayleen Bingham at (903) 813-3536.

TCOG Family Self-Sufficiency Client Achieves Home Ownership

SHERMAN, APRIL 28, 2015 – Texoma Council of Governments (TCOG) hosted a ribbon-cutting at 211 E. Cottonwood in Leonard, Texas to celebrate Cindi Spoonemore, a TCOG Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) client who realized the American Dream of home ownership. Mayor Willie Johnson, TCOG staff plus family and friends of Ms. Spoonemore were on hand to offer congratulations.

The goal of the TCOG FSS Program is to eliminate or decrease dependence on Government assistance and to establish self-sufficiency. As an FSS client, Ms. Spoonemore entered into a contract of participation with the main goal of becoming a homeowner. Through the program, Ms. Spoonemore worked to dramatically improve her credit score, completed the Homebuyer’s course, and ultimately became eligible for a mortgage loan.

“TCOG is synonymous with building quality of life in Texoma. What better way to do that than help a fellow Texoma citizen become self-sufficient and the owner of her own home,” stated Dr. Susan B. Thomas, TCOG Executive Director.

Through drive and determination, Ms. Spoonemore completed the FSS program and reached her ultimate goal of home ownership. When asked about her accomplishment, Cindi stated, “My house is awesome, and I wake up every morning with a smile on my face! I was surprised and impressed with how quickly TCOG’s Home Ownership program helped me to become a homeowner.”

The Family Self-Sufficiency and Home Ownership programs are subprograms of TCOG’s Section 8 HCV Program. The FSS program assists clients in achieving goals that are structured on a five year plan, and includes the Home Ownership program which specializes in preparing clients for home ownership.

The Texoma Council of Governments is a voluntary association of the local governments in Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson Counties. Established in 1968, the Texoma Council of Governments promotes economy and efficiency in the coordinated planning and development of the tri-county region through its community and economic development activities. Either directly, or through contractors, the Council provides housing, utility assistance, and weatherization services for low-income citizens in the region and assists the elderly through a variety of Area Agency on Aging programs. The Council also facilitates the delivery of grant funding for homeland security and criminal justice.

“When I first started in this job 27 years ago, I used to run the program by myself.”

Rayleen Bingham is seated at a conference table in the Texoma Council of Governments’ Sherman headquarters, where her Section 8 Housing Office now employs a full-time staff of four.

“We didn’t get but one call every two or three days, of someone wanting to apply,” she said. “We get 20 calls a day now. The need has increased and doubled and tripled and just kept on going.”

TCOG manages approximately 1,100 of Grayson County’s 1,800 Section 8 units, which are split about 40-60 between public housing, in which the tenants are their own landlords, and vouchers, in which the federal government subsidizes rent at a privately-owned home or apartment. According to a 2012 study prepared by TCOG, those available units are enough to meet only a fraction of the need, with at least 3,000 local families eligible for assistance.

“Basically, the wage in this area has not increased that much, but the population has,” explained Bingham. “So you’re getting more people coming into the area, working at the same jobs that maybe don’t meet living wage or barely meet living wage, who are going to qualify for our programs, but because of the need and the supply and demand, we can’t serve them because we only have so many slots available.”

For those who make it into the Section 8 program — oftentimes after a wait that can approach three years for the voucher program — the government pays the difference between what the person can afford and a fair-market rate for the lodging. That rate fluctuates year-to-year, and currently ranges from $620 for a one-bedroom unit to $1,002 for a three-bedroom.

The market is squeezed at both ends, said Bingham, with smaller units always filled quickly when they become available, and a general lack of larger accommodations.

“The smaller size units, one and two bedrooms, are only going up (in price) a little bit, but those are the hardest units to find,” she said. “When I started this program, it was primarily young females with children, or the elderly or disabled. Now, I’m finding that same young mother with children is actually taking in mamma and maybe brother. … Se [sic] we’ve got a different family dynamic going on.”

The program director said federal dollars for Section 8 have remained relatively flat over the past two decades, with most of the growth locally coming through supplemental efforts for veterans and fractured families. Programs to graduate people out of Section 8 — including a project that deposits money in a savings account for people who start making more at work — have helped to spark turnover, Bingham explained.

“We’re going to be there for you, once you get on the program, we’re going to help you and try to get you to a self-sufficient point,” Bingham said. “People are just not making enough money to pay their rent and all of the other things that they need, or think that they need. A lot of people aren’t real good at prioritizing, unfortunately, and they don’t make as good of decisions as they should. They get themselves in a bind and then that’s when they reach out and need help.”

To qualify for Section 8 rental assistance, a family must be at or below 50 percent of median income for the Sherman-Denison metropolitan area. For a single person, that amount for 2015 is $34,800. For a family of four, the cut-off rises to $49,700.

“It’s those that don’t get on the program that I worry about,” said Bingham. “Because they’re doubling-up. They’re going through a cycle of renting a unit when they finally get the money, and then sneaking out on the landlord when they can’t afford to continue paying.”

With no public housing projects planned for construction locally and little hope for more voucher money from Congress, Bingham said local housing authorities have looked to innovate, applying for grants, collaborating among each other and purchasing unused apartment stock to convert to Section 8.

Amid the challenges, however, Bingham said the spirit of charity locally is far superior to the situation in the Metroplex. She said the recalcitrant landlords that her sister agencies deal with are not among the problems in Grayson and Fannin counties.

“Our community rocks; they are really good,” said Bingham. “They like to take care of their own.”

Source – http://heralddemocrat.com/news/local/need-local-rent-assistance-outpaces-demand-say-officials

Housing Homeless Veterans

On any given night there are more than 67 thousand homeless veterans in the United States, with Texas as one of four states that account for more than 50% of all homeless veterans. There are over 130 homeless veterans right here in Texoma and they are suffering. They are suffering from combat related physical and mental health issues and are 20 times more likely to commit suicide, as many feel lost, alone, and forgotten.

We enjoy freedoms that no other country in this world enjoys. Those freedoms were fought for and continue to be protected by our service men and women. As Americans, we owe a debt of gratitude to our veterans. A pat on the back and a “thank you for your service” may suffice for most of our veterans, but our homeless veterans need more from us.

Recognizing the disturbing reality, Dr. Susan Thomas, TCOG Executive Director, said, “The fact that there is one homeless vet in Texoma, let alone 130, is simply inexcusable, and as a community we have to acknowledge the problem, agree it is unacceptable, and work together to ensure that none of our veterans feel forgotten.”

Texoma Council of Governments (TCOG) administers the Veterans Administrative Supportive Housing Program (VASH). The program is a collaborative effort between two federal agencies; the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Veterans Administration (VA), and the program represents the first time these two federal agencies have worked together to deliver a program.

The concept of the collaboration is sound; the VA provides homeless veterans with long-term case management as well as medical services and HUD provides a housing voucher. However, one minor detail in the development of the program was overlooked. Homeless veterans have nothing to put inside their new home; not a bed, a couch, not even a spoon or a fork.

Housing a Veteran without the necessary and basic essentials to create a home has been identified as the primary reason they return to their homeless community. We can provide all the mental health and medical services they need; we can place four walls around them and put a roof over their heads. However, if they don’t have a place they can call home – a place where they can lay their head at night on a pillow, in a bed, and feel secure – they are much less likely to succeed in their effort to re-enter society.

On April 21, 2015 TCOG will initiate a campaign to secure approximately $62,500 in financial support to fill this gap and to create the “homes” our homeless veterans deserve. Donations will be used to purchase essential furniture and household items such as a bed, couch, kitchen table and chairs, cleaning supplies, linens and kitchen items. The cost to provide these essentials to each veteran is approximately $2,500. TCOG is seeking corporate, non-profit and individual sponsors to support this effort. 100% of all funds raised will be used to purchase items for Veteran’s homes. All gifted items become the property of the veteran. Contributions are tax-deductible and can be made via TCOG’s website at www.tcog.com/vash.

Commenting on the prospects of reaching their fundraising goal, Thomas stated, “We know that we will have a more successful program with higher retention rates and that we will be able to transform the lives of these deserving veterans if we provide them a safe, secure, and stable environment to live in. As a community, if we pool our resources and each give what we can, whether its $25 or $2,500, we will be well on our way to ensuring that all veterans in Texoma receive the respect, honor, and support they deserve. I feel very confident our community will respond to this call.”

The Texoma Council of Governments is a voluntary association of the local governments in Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson Counties. Established in 1968, the Texoma Council of Governments promotes economy and efficiency in the coordinated planning and development of the tri-county region through its community and economic development activities. Either directly, or through contractors, the Council provides housing, utility assistance, and weatherization services for low-income citizens in the region and assists the elderly through a variety of Area Agency on Aging programs. The Council also facilitates the delivery of grant funding for homeland security and criminal justice.

GRAYSON COUNTY, TX — Officials with the Texoma Council of Governments say nearly 10 percent of the homeless population in Texoma are veterans.

Many live on the streets and go from shelter to shelter but one organization is working to help provide them with permanent housing.

TCOG officials say helping our veterans should be a top priority in the community, that is why they have been working with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans to help out our homeless veterans get back on track to a normal life.

Since 2012, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program, or VASH, has been helping veterans like Steve Norby get back on their feet.

“I’m living a great life filled with purpose,” Norby said. “Everyday is a good day.”

It wasn’t always good.

The navy veteran says after he left the service, he faced problems with money, alcohol, and depression.

That downward spiral led to life on the streets, constantly moving from shelter to shelter.

“I went seriously down at one point and went far far down,” Norby said.

Things turned around for Norby when the Texoma Council of Governments came to him and awarded him with one of 25 vouchers for the HUD-VASH program, helping him get a home of his own.

The program’s goal is to provide homeless vets with Section 8 housing, as well as helping them with other VA benefits.

Now, TCOG has been awarded 25 more vouchers to help even more veterans in need.

“Housing and having a place of your own is very important and the VASH gave me the opportunity to have that,” said Norby. “It’s not an opportunity I would have had otherwise.”

Rayleen Bingham, TCOG Section 8 Program Manager, says the award of 25 more vouchers is a blessing.

Usually communities only receive around 10-15 vouchers.

“This offers stability for them and that’s something some of them haven’t had in a long time when they come to us,” Norby said. “Stability means they can focus on other things now that they have a roof over their head now.”

TCOG Executive Director, Susan Thomas, says the award of more vouchers would not have been possible without the community’s support.

“The community stepped up in tremendous fashion in the last round of vouchers and provided items, clothes, linens, toiletries, and everything that veteran needed to make that house a home,” Thomas said.

Veterans for the HUD-VASH program are chosen by a VA case manager.

For more information on this progam, contact the Texoma Council of Governments

http://www.texoma.cog.tx.us/

Source: http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/TCOG–266531411.html