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Committee hears plan to expand Family Self‑Sufficiency program to auto‑enroll eligible Section 8 households
Summary
Representatives and nonprofit partners urged the Joint Committee on Housing to approve H.4568, a bill that would expand access to the federal Family Self‑Sufficiency (FSS) program for households using Housing Choice (Section 8) vouchers by testing an automatic‑enrollment delivery model.
The Joint Committee on Housing heard testimony on H.4568, which would expand access to the federal Family Self‑Sufficiency (FSS) program for families using Housing Choice (Section 8) vouchers by piloting an automatic‑enrollment model and partnering with nonprofit service providers.
Representative [testimony attribution in transcript: Representative Cruz] told the committee that many eligible families do not participate in FSS because of application friction and program awareness. "No need to research the program, find out how to apply, advocate for access for your family, and navigate yet another process while trying to keep your head above water," the representative said, describing the bill as a way to make FSS the default for eligible families while allowing households to opt out.
James Stewart of Compass Working Capital described the program's record and the mechanics proposed in the bill: under FSS, as families earn more, a portion of their increased rent contribution is deposited into an escrow savings account to be used toward goals such as education, homeownership or debt reduction. Stewart said the pilot would test automatic enrollment with nonprofit partners delivering coaching and savings services and that Compass has philanthropic support to deliver a pilot and has run smaller pilots with Cambridge Housing Authority and a large pilot in Chicago.
Witnesses argued the change could dramatically expand participation: "On average, FSS graduates are saving over $10,000 in the program," Stewart said, and the bill's backers noted that while tens of thousands of Massachusetts households could qualify for FSS, current participation is a small fraction of the eligible pool.
The proposal would not require any housing provider to participate; it would be an option for interested public‑housing authorities or voucher‑administering agencies to test the new enrollment and service model.
The committee received the testimony and did not take a vote at the hearing.
