The Patrick Administration has announced $1 million in grants for a jobs program for the homeless, with $250,000 going to western Massachusetts.
The state funding will allow the continuation of a pilot program that launched last year with a $1 million donation from the Fireman Charitable Foundation. The Secure Jobs Connect program is a collaboration of public, private, and non-profits sectors including social service agencies, community colleges and businesses. The state’s top housing official Aaron Gornstein said western Massachusetts did an outstanding job in the first year of the program.
"They are really moving forward on actually placing families into real jobs, increasing their incomes and that helps with stable housing."
350 people got jobs in the first year of the program with the average hourly wage rate at $10.20.