Arizona Housing Coalition grant fuels Phoenix workforce housing effort
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
St. Joseph the Worker is launching its Workforce Housing and Training Program.
This new program bridges the gap between job seekers, career opportunities and a pathway to long-term housing. Funding for the project was made possible by Arizona Housing Coalition’s Capacity Building for Nonprofit Organizations — Innovations for Impact Grant, according to a press release.
The innovations for impact grant is designed to increase the capacity of 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations working within Arizona to address housing instability and homelessness, the release states.
The core focus of the 120-day WHAT Program is to fast-track participants into stable career employment. It begins with two weeks of hands-on classroom training, after which graduates can start working and receive their first paycheck within the first month.
For the next 90 days, participants follow SJW’s Workforce Villages transitional housing model, which provides free housing along with classes on personal finance and how to budget for food, teaching participants how to keep their cost per meal under $5.
This enables participants to save 70%-80% of their net income in their own personal bank accounts, allowing them to save enough money to secure their own apartment once the program ends representatives of the program tell the Digital Free Press.
Following the classroom portion of WHAT, individuals can secure employment starting at $18 per hour and move to $20 per hour after 90 days with one of SJW’s Preferred Business Partners or other local companies. Over the next six to nine months, wages can increase up to $23 per hour.
Upon successful completion of the four-month program, graduates will not only have enough money saved to cover the first month’s rent and security deposit for their own apartment but also provide themselves with a savings cushion.
St. Joseph the Worker begins workforce housing and training program
With the fair market price of a one-bedroom apartment in Phoenix around $1,200, the program offers members of the community a tangible pathway to longer-term financial stability.
“At SJW, our mission is to provide individuals with the tools they need to free themselves from government assistance and achieve self-sufficiency,” said Carrie Masters, CEO at St. Joseph the Worker.
“With our new Workforce Housing and Training Program, we are offering a comprehensive solution in one unique program. It provides a career pathway with real earnings growth, a pathway to long-term housing and fills roles our local partners have available to grow their businesses.”
Although some trade professions provide onsite training, WHAT aims to equip participants with essential soft skills and knowledge needed to excel in their roles from day No. 1.
The inaugural class, instructed by Phoenix House Painting owner John Morris, will learn the technical and interpersonal skills needed to succeed as a commercial painter. During the classroom portion of the program, trainees spend two hours each day covering essential work and life skills and the remaining six hours are focused on hands-on technical training.
“I am so passionate about sharing my decades of experience in the trade and, more importantly, the life skills necessary to be an excellent team member and build a career,” Mr. Morris said in a prepared statement. “I’m excited to be a part of a program that not only incorporates a housing component but also emphasizes soft skills like navigating conflict resolution and maintaining professionalism. It truly is a win-win for the individual and the community.”
SJW’s Workforce Training Program is accepting applications for its upcoming session starting on May 7, 2024.
