Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workforce Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
BLA finds data gaps in city workforce programs for homeless residents; supervisors agree to continue study
Summary
The BLA told supervisors that city workforce programs reported about 294 programs across 17 departments but that data collection and counting methods overstate participants and obscure how many unique homeless individuals are served — roughly 1,736 under current counting. Departments and the Homeless Employment Collaborative committed to better coordination; the committee voted to continue the topic.
The committee’s second item on June 24 examined city‑funded workforce development programs serving vulnerable populations, including people who are homeless or formerly incarcerated. The Budget Legislative Analyst reported an OEWD inventory of roughly 294 programs across 17 departments (FY18–19 budget about $150 million) but identified major data limitations that make it difficult to measure how many unique homeless individuals receive services or how funds are allocated by population.
The BLA presentation noted that the OEWD inventory recorded 26,142 “participants” in FY18–19 but cautioned that the inventory counts program enrollments (a single person can be counted multiple times). Under that counting method, about 1,736 participant records were marked as homeless — roughly 7% of total participation — but the BLA warned the true number of unique homeless individuals is likely lower. The BLA recommended standardizing data collection across departments, reinstating and codifying the workforce alignment committee, and setting clear priority populations and outcome measures.
Human Services Agency (HSA) Deputy Noelle Simmons described JobsNow, an umbrella of workforce services for public‑aid recipients that includes job readiness, subsidized work experiences and placement supports; HSA also funds four contracts that target unhoused clients. HSA reported roughly 572 placements this fiscal year through JobsNow and noted a new $150,000 California Workforce Development Board grant (designed with OEWD, HSH and community partners) to integrate workforce readiness screening into the coordinated entry system.
OEWD director of workforce development Joshua Arce described neighborhood job centers, sector academies and partnerships with community organizations that provide training for hospitality, construction, IT and health care. Arce and other presenters emphasized that many proven programs serving homeless job seekers are run by CBOs (for example Central City Hospitality House, Community Housing Partnership and Episcopal Community Services) and urged better cross‑agency data sharing so OEWD, HSA and the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) can coordinate assessments and referrals.
The Homeless Employment Collaborative urged a system that prioritizes paid training, living wages and links between housing and employment. Joe Wilson called for stronger board oversight, greater community representation in alignment committees, and measurement of outcomes that emphasize sustained employment and wages rather than short‑term placements.
Public commenters (including day‑labor and youth providers) stressed the need for tailored youth programming, paid apprenticeships, and new day‑labor opportunities administered with COVID‑19 safety protocols. Multiple speakers asked that people with lived experience be included in program design and urged funding for culturally competent providers.
The committee agreed to continue the item to the call of the chair to allow departments and community partners to propose standard data definitions, to quantify how many unique homeless people receive services, and to design outcome metrics for placements and wages. A roll‑call vote approved continuing the discussion.
Sources: BLA inventory briefing; presentations from HSA, OEWD and the Homeless Employment Collaborative at the June 24, 2020 committee meeting.
