Roanoke Redevelopment & Housing Authority among nine grantees to receive funding
In an effort to help low-income residents find higher-paying jobs, the U.S. Department and Urban Development (HUD) announced on Friday April 3, a $24-million investment for the next four years to nine public housing authorities, including a $3-million grant to the Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA), and their partners to help residents increase their earned income and become self-sufficient.
HUD’s Jobs-Plus Pilot Program support work readiness and connects public housing residents with employment, education and financial empowerment services-and it’s a model proven to help public housing residents find and keep jobs.
“Job-Plus is not just an initiative, it’s a pathway to greater prosperity for folk across the nation,” said HUD Secretary Julian Castro. “Empowering public housing residents with new economic and educational tools is good for their families and for our nation. HUD is always looking for innovative ways to help others secure new opportunities and to reach their full potential. With this funding, local public housing authorities will be able to help more Americans find employment in today’s job market so they can build a better tomorrow.
“For residents of Landsdowne Park, the Job-Plus program will create an opportunity for them to increase their skills and earn the credentials needed for employment in demand-driven job sectors that produce livable wages,” stated Jane C.W. Vincent, Regional Administrator for the Mid-Atlantic region. “We look forward to working with RRHA to get their new center up and running quickly, so they can begin to support their residents with the new tools that will be available by this grant.”
“A critical component of RRHA’s mission is helping families achieve self-sufficiency. RRHA is pleased to work with Goodwill and other community partners to provide employment programs that help families in public housing achieve their self-sufficiency goals,” noted RRHA Executive Director Glenda Edwards Goh. “Self-sufficiency cannot be truly achieved without employment opportunities. RRHA is looking forward to working in collaboration with partners to provide employment training and opportunities that will help many families living in public housing move out of poverty and achieve their goals.”
HUD’s Job-Plus Pilot Program links the housing authority system with employment and training services, new rent rules that make work pay, and neighbor-to-neighbor outreaching-demonstrating how cross-agency partnerships make a difference in the economic prospects of public housing residents. These grants will employ several principles of the Administration’s Job Driven training checklist to ensure that public housing residents are connected to a program that is using evidence-based practices that work for job seekers and employers.
Goodwill Industries of the Valleys President and CEO Bruce Phipps added, “This collaborative initiative will strengthen our community as we help residents of public housing find and keep jobs. The design is to offer occupational skills training and build a career pathway by preparing residents to attain credentials and thus earn a living wage. Goodwill has a strong track record of working with local residents and is committed to helping people move from poverty to a good paying job.”
The Jobs-Plus Pilot Program capitalizes on a successful demonstration program that combines traditional employment, training and job placement services with a rent incentive and a place-based investment in building community support for work. The program model, which requires PHAs to partner with Department of Labor American Jobs Center, promotes initiatives to improve employment and earnings outcomes, a critical element of self-sufficiency for all families. Targeting an entire development helps residents support each other through the process.
