Public Announcements
Winnebago County Housing Authority wins $1.6M grant to help residents advance their careers
ROCKFORD — The Winnebago County Housing Authority has won a competitive $1.6 million Jobs Plus grant, which will be used to help residents at Collier Garden Apartments advance their careers and build better financial stability.
The local housing authority was one of only 10 nationwide to receive the grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The program brings an on-site job center to Collier to help residents with job searches, training, career counseling, financial coaching and other employment services.
It also has financial incentives that provide residents a permissible dedication that does not raise their rent when they earn more while participating in the program. Residents pay 30% of their adjusted income as rent, which means their rent goes up as their earnings do. That means pursuing a better job can sometimes feel like a risk for residents, housing officials said.
“Too many of our residents have had to weigh a better job against a stable home. Jobs Plus takes that worry off the table,” said Alan Zais, executive director of the Winnebago County Housing Authority. “Our residents want to work and want to build better futures for themselves and their families. This program gives them the tools, the support and the confidence to do it — and it strengthens our entire community in the process.”
