SAN DIEGO ( KUSI) – The San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) Achievement Academy is an example of an agency “performing in an outstanding manner or providing noteworthy community services,” according to a San Diego County Grand Jury report released June 20.
“The SDHC Achievement Academy is essential to our mission to provide opportunities for the families we serve to improve their quality of life. I thank the Grand Jury for its thorough review of the SDHC Achievement Academy and this well-deserved recognition of its success in helping families become more financially self-reliant,” SDHC President & CEO Richard C. Gentry said.
The SDHC Achievement Academy is a learning and resource center and computer lab located at SDHC’s headquarters in Downtown San Diego. It is available at no cost to families that receive federal rental assistance from SDHC or who live in public housing. The SDHC Achievement Academy’s programs emphasize career planning, job skills, and personal financial education.
In addition, SDHC Achievement Academy staff, known as Workforce Readiness Specialists, work with families on customized plans for educational and/or employment objectives.
“The Achievement Academy, in conjunction with its partner agencies, operates a robust menu of innovative training and educational programs designed to improve the lives of clients while simultaneously reducing their dependence on public aid. For this service, the Grand Jury commends the Achievement Academy of the San Diego Housing Commission,” the Grand Jury report states.
“The Achievement Academy, in conjunction with its partner agencies, operates a robust menu of innovative training and educational programs designed to improve the lives of clients while simultaneously reducing their dependence on public aid. For this service, the Grand Jury commends the Achievement Academy of the San Diego Housing Commission,” the Grand Jury report states.
Since it opened in 2010, the SDHC Achievement Academy has served more than 5,600 individuals, including helping more than 1,000 people secure jobs. In addition, in that time, the average hourly wage of participants in SDHC Achievement Academy programs has increased 38.8 percent – from $9.50 to $13.19.
“Too often we hear that recipients of public benefits are content to continue to accept whatever benefits are available and are not motivated to achieve self-sufficiency or to improve their lives. However, the tenants receiving rental assistance from the City of San Diego Housing Commission (Commission) are proving that this notion is not always correct,” the Grand Jury report states.
“Too often we hear that recipients of public benefits are content to continue to accept whatever benefits are available and are not motivated to achieve self-sufficiency or to improve their lives. However, the tenants receiving rental assistance from the City of San Diego Housing Commission (Commission) are proving that this notion is not always correct,” the Grand Jury report states.
SDHC created the SDHC Achievement Academy with the flexibility provided by SDHC’s designation as a “Moving to Work” (MTW) agency. SDHC is one of only 39 public housing authorities, out of approximately 3,400 nationwide, to receive an MTW designation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As an MTW agency, SDHC has the flexibility to implement a variety of innovative, cost-effective approaches to provide housing assistance in the City of San Diego.
June 27, 2019
KUSI
By KUSI Newsroom
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