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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 11061984 - 1.65 II;G-S R TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: Phil Batchelor, — ' lra C County Administrator OOLCI DATE: November 1, 1984 WurY SUBJECT: Designating Project Self-Sufficiency Task Force SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION Designate the Women's Employment Support Group Project Steering Committee plus a representative from the Contra Costa County Housing Authority to serve as the Project Self-Sufficiency Task Force. BACKGROUND On July 17, 1984 the Board approved submission of an application to the U. S . Department of Housing and Urban Development for participation in Project Self-Sufficiency. The County' s application was approved. This is a HUD Pilot Project with the objective of providing housing, counseling and job training services to low income, single, heads of households . The County Housing Authority will receive 50 additional Section 8 housing certificates for use by project participants. Counselling services will be provided by the Mt. Diablo Adult Education Office and job training will be available through the Private Industry Council. The project regulations require establishment of a Project Self-Sufficiency Task Force. The County' s application for participation in this project indicated that the Women' s Employment Support Group Project Steering Committee, augmented as necessary, would serve as the required Task Force. The Women's Employment Support Group is an outgrowth of the Board appointed Employment Strategies Group, which was formed as a result of a HUD technical assistance grant to assist local communities in developing strategies to link employment and training with economic development. The Support Group had addressed the matter of providing female AFDC recipients with the support services necessary to build their self-confidence and provide them with the motivation to secure and maintain employment. Inasmuch as the, Women 's Employment Support Group Project Steering Committee is already in place and has the experience and membership required of the Project Self- Sufficiency Task Force, it is appropriate that it be designated to serve as the Task Force. Its membership will be expanded to include a representa- tive of the County Housing Authority, as required by the Project Self- Sufficiency regulations. See attached project descriptions . CONTIN D ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: _� COMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATIO F BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHERI SIGNATURE(S) G /� ACTION OF BOARD ON _ APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED - OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) 1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AYES: NOES: AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORSN THE DATE SHOWN. CC: County Administrator ATTESTED Y,42r,� 0 aG / Housing Authority Phil Batchelor, C3erk of the Personnel Board of Supervisors and I ounty A ministrator M3e2/7-83 BY (� � � DEPUTY PROJECT SELF-SUFFICIENCY - PILOT HUD PROGRAM I. NEED FOR SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM Women considering work and/or life transitions often lack a positive sense ` of self-esteem and positive attitudes/motivation to better enable them to successfully enter the work force and/or successfully deal with other transitions in life (i.e. , divorce, widowhood, single-parenting). These qualities, however, are vitally necessary if women are to successfully deal with life's challenges, including becoming productive workers in the labor force. At the same time, women often lack the support and encouragement needed to enable them to improve their sense of worth and self-esteem, thereby motivating them to become self-sufficient. Women on AFDC, in particular, lack the support necessary to enable them to change their life situations. This problem was recently articulated by the Employment Strategies Group, an ad hoc committee established by the Board of Supervisors. This committee was formed as a result of a HUD technical assistance grant to communities to assist them to develop strategies to link employment and training with economic development. The committee, composed of public officials and representatives of the business community, identified a concern of the business community: that though job skills can be taught to an individual, self-confidence/self-esteem and positive attitudes/motivation are qualities that are often lacking, thereby hindering a person's ability to secure and maintain employment. To address this concern, the committee recommended a pilot project, a Women's Employment Support Group, to focus on developing these qualities, particularly with AFDC recipients, as a first step in becoming job ready. Though the intent of this project would be applicable to many, the committee addressed the project to women on AFDC in order to enable them to be self-supporting of their families. The elements of the Women's Employment Support Group project are (see Attachment I for outline of project) : 1. A support group composed of up to 15 low income women that meets weekly for 2 1/2 hours, and which is facilitated by an individual from an adult school. 2. A Steering Committee of representatives from the public and private sectors organized to develop, oversee and evaluate the project identify and coordinate resources. 3. Private contributions to provide support services, such as child care and transportation, to the participants while engaged in support group activities . 4. Linkage/access to employment and training programs. (vote: The support group meets in a regional office of the Private Industry Council.) 5. Marketing of project/concept. 000199 Barriers to employment not only include lack of job skills, child care, housing and transportation, but also, as was indicated above, lack of self- confidence and self-esteem to be able to successfully cope with these barriers. The project's aim is to enable participants to develop the necessary self-confidence and self-esteem, through the support of the group members, to identify positive direction(s) in one's life, to enter employment and training programs, and/or to directly become employed, thereby becoming self sufficient. The employment and training programs in the community, including those of the Private Industry Council, are available to the support group participants as they develop the self-confidence to enter these programs. The need for adequate housing is apparent with those now participating in the support group. For example, several members have not been able to participate regularly in the support group because they must take the time to try to find adequate housing. Given the number of people on the waiting list in this county for Section 8 Existing Housing certificates, it is quite likely that there are others who are interested in this self-sufficiency project, and in employment in general, who must first meet their housing needs before they are able to pursue these other endeavors. II. NUMBER OF SECTION 8 EXISTING HOUSING CERTIFICATES NEEDED The number of certificates needed is 50. The need for more certificates could conceivably increase with an increase in the number of support groups in which low income single parents could participate because of the interest in such groups. Initially, however, it is estimated that up to 50 persons eligible for the certificates could participate in the present self- sufficiency support group program over a 12-month period of time. 2,000 persons in Contra Costa County are now on the waiting list for Section 8 existing housing certificates, while another 1200 are on the waiting list for conventional public housing. The majority of people on each of these waiting lists are unemployed or underemployed. III. DESCRIPTION OF LOCAL TASK FORCE A Task Force is already in place in the form of a Steering Committee that was established for the Women's Employment Support Group project. This Steering Committee is composed of representatives from the public and private sectors, including business, community organizations, educational institutions, employment and training programs, women's groups, and councv deparcmencs. This Steering Committee oversees the planning andimple^entation of the support group project, and assists in pulling together resources, including their ow-n, to support the project. The majority of chose on chis committee would be willing to cake on the additional responsibilitu of participating in the selection of participants who will receive the Section 8 Existing Housing Certificate. This Steering Committee would serve as the Task Force, though would be expanded to include representatives from the County Housing Authority and the single parent population (though several community organizations already on the committee do, in part, represent this population), as well as any others that would enhance the effectiveness of the commiccee (Task Force). 00r'ti00