1. A PARALLEL PATH: HOMELESSNESS AND EMPLOYMENT
County of Santa Clara
Office of Supportive Housing

2. Strategies – Before After
Homelessness Prevention – one time financial assistance was given to households that received a notice from landlord
Rapid Rehousing – rental subsidies based on income that included support services through case management
Employment – it was dependent on the agency client was connected
Homelessness Prevention – financial assistance is given if household will miss a rent payment within 14 days
Income and rental amount is reviewed and a plan is created to increase income or to find a more affordable unit
Rapid Rehousing – rental subsidies and support services that focus on employment and income outcomes
Employment Pathway Initiative – pairing housing interventions with opportunities for living way employment

3. Employment Pathway Initiatives
It is an employment engagement enterprise developed by the County of Santa Clara Office of Supportive Housing, Destination: Home, and the City of San Jose
The objective is to connect individuals and families receiving housing assistance in Santa Clara County with living-wage employment & empowering them to increase their income to achieve and sustain long-term housing stability
High-growth industry pathways include: healthcare, building and construction trade, advanced manufacturing, technology and professional

4. Bridging the two systems
Tactics
Buy in from the Board of Supervisors, the City of San Jose, Destination: Home, and contractual relationships with training partners
Initiative that started with 1M and high expectations
Have clear objectives and outcomes based on data
Joint meetings with direct service providers as well as their leadership to demonstrate the importance of bridging the systems
Include training partners and employers in Supportive Housing System meetings
Include data, data, and more data to get others to the table, including workforce board

5. What’s next?
As a community we are integrating the work of racial equity into our Supportive Housing System
Conducting a study on Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing in partnership with the University of Notre Dame, the Lab for Economic Opportunity (LEO), and MIT’s Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)
Goal is to understand what is and isn’t working but also to ensure that policy is informed by scientific evidence

6. What can you do? Research – review what others are doing
Portland: Central City Concern is a non-profit that provides supportive housing connected to employment services and a one-stop center
New York: Jericho Project is a non-profit that employs a team of Career Counselors and Employment Specialists that help place their residents into meaningful employment
Data driven – conduct a deep data dive of your community
What are the outcomes telling you?
What are the growth industries in your community and does it make sense for your population?
Who is at your table? Who is missing?
Do you have a partner such as Destination: Home to help you drive the vision?
Make sure to involve a lived experience advisory board early on
Design – create something that works for your community that is flexible to the changing needs of the homeless and those at risk

7. County of Santa Clara Office of Supportive Housing
Jessica Orozco