Improving Employment Opportunities for Homeless Job Seekers

Improving Employment Opportunities for Homeless Job Seekers

People experiencing homelessness need to earn a living wage. We’re working to connect homeless men, women, mothers, and fathers with education, training, and employment services through Building Changes' Economic Opportunities Initiative. This 18-month capacity building program helps nonprofits improve their employment services programs and partnerships. The Initiative has spurred collaboration, peer learning, and resource sharing among a diverse group of organizations in many of the state's most economically distressed counties.

Participants are making impressive progress during challenging economic times. Bolstered by financial assistance grants, training and in-depth consulting, they have been working hard to build programs and implement new strategies to improve employment opportunities for their clients. Examples of how these organizations are moving forward include:

Developing new resources and expanding programs

Longview Housing Authority's Veteran Employment Resource Center

• The Longview Housing Authority in Clark County has expanded its social enterprise called "VetWorks" and increased paid employment and training opportunities for homeless veterans in the areas of landscaping, maintenance, and construction. They have also opened the Veteran Employment Resource Center, which offers a computer room, vocational counseling, and job search assistance to local veterans.

Providing more job training programs

• The Women’s Resource Center in Chelan/Douglas Counties is piloting a building maintenance training program, which started with 13 students in January and meets 3 times per week.

Creating pathways to small business ownership

• Catholic Housing Services in Skagit County is assisting farm workers with microenterprise development with help from a bi-lingual employment specialist.

"Businesses need qualified employees, and nonprofits want to improve their clients' economic stability," said Mark Putnam, Building Changes' Director of Consulting and Technical Assistance. "These agencies are demonstrating how helping low-income and homeless job seekers find employment is a 'win-win' for both nonprofits and the business sector."