Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS)

The purpose of the ROSS program is to:

Assess public housing resident needs and to connect them with education, job training and placement programs and/or computer and financial literacy services available in the community to promote self-sufficiency.
Work with community service providers to tailor services to the needs of eligible residents, establishing a system to monitor and evaluate service delivery and outcomes, and coordinating with other independent living programs.
Encourage and promote the development of local, innovative strategies that link public housing residents with public and private resources for supportive services and resident empowerment activities to enable participating families to increase earned income; reduce or eliminate the need for public assistance; and make progress toward achieving economic independence and housing self-sufficiency.

Who Is Eligible?
All public housing residents who dream of economic independence are eligible and invited to participate in the ROSS Program.

What Is The Role Of The Ross Coordinator?
The ROSS Coordinator develops a needs assessment with the participant and connects them to: educational, employment, computer, and financial literacy services that are available in the community; services that are designed to enhance self-sufficiency.

ROSS Coordinators also collaborate with other programs and agencies to ensure that participants receive the necessary services which were identified during the needs assessment.

With the needs of ROSS program participants in mind, the ROSS Coordinator strives to establish partnerships with other local and/or state social service agencies and private entities to develop a "Program Coordinating Committee (PCC)".

What Is The Program Coordinating Committee (PCC) And Their Purpose?
The PCC is a group of dedicated community leaders who are committed to the economic, social and academic well-being of the ROSS Program participants, as well as the community at large. Through these partnerships with the PCC collaborators, a bridge is created between the needed services and the resources available to ROSS program participants.

Who Are Some Of The PCC Members?

Some of the current PCC committee members are:

Charlotte Technical Center
Comprehensive Housing Resources, Inc.
Career Source of SWFL
Charlotte 2-1-1
Baker Center
Charlotte County Homeless Coalition
Early Learning Coalition of Florida's Heartland
Florida Department of Health
Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida
Habitat for Humanity

What Are Some Of The Services That Are Coordinated Through The PCC?

Career Counseling
Employment
Job Readiness
Vocational Training
ESL/GED Classes
Financial Management
Credit/Debit Counseling

Working Together. Building Strong Families. Strong Futures.