WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed welcomed a new infusion of federal funds to Rhode Island to expand job training, economic opportunities, and upward financial mobility for residents of public housing in Providence’s Wanskuck neighborhood.

The Providence Housing Authority (PHA) is one of 14 housing authorities nationwide selected by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) this month for a federal Jobs Plus grant.   The $2.3 million federal grant will help residents living in the Admiral Terrace and Chad Brown Apartments increase their earned income and improve their economic mobility through the Jobs Plus program. 

PHA will use the federal funds for its Jobs Plus Providence a Bright Future Initiative which seeks to expand critical job training and adult education opportunities for residents of Admiral Terrace and Chad Brown Apartments.  Participants in the program will access resources to help them attain their educational and employment goals in an on-site Jobs Plus program center that offers comprehensive education, employment programming, and wrap around services in a convenient, in-house location.

In addition to HUD’s core Jobs Plus Initiative Program components, the PHA’s Jobs Plus a Bright Future Initiative also provides program services that are tailored to residents’ individual needs. These services will be drawn from a menu of on-site and referral services for a wide range of needs that, in addition to directly related workforce development needs, include equitable access to health care, counseling, childcare, and support for survivors of trauma.  And unemployed residents can work with case managers to identify short and long-term employment goals and create plans to accomplish them.

“Jobs Plus has a strong track record of success when it comes to helping enrolled participants overcome economic challenges and achieve greater financial stability and independence.  It is not a one-size fits all program and can be tailored to the needs of those it serves.  Working in a supportive and familiar community environment, the Jobs Plus program combines comprehensive employment, training, and job placement services with a rent incentive that helps families build up their savings.  It is a smart investment in connecting people to employment training that meets their needs, leads to long-term employment, and helps people increase their earning potential and improve their financial outlook.  It offers all residents an opportunity to improve their financial literacy and financial earnings,” said Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees Jobs Plus funding and supported PHA’s application.  “I commend the Providence Housing Authority for applying for this grant.  PHA is a housing agency, but they offer more than just a place to live, they offer support and services to help people reach their potential and thrive and eventually move on to market-rate housing.”

Together, Admiral Terrace and Chad Brown Apartments are home to more than 970 residents of Providence.  Currently, the average annual household income for the public housing apartments is $18,509 and there is a demonstrated need for comprehensive programming to address persistent poverty.

The Jobs Plus program is a place-based community investment, meaning rather than targeting it to just a few individual households it is offered and promoted to the entire public housing development and seeks to empower the long-term success of individuals and communities.

Normally, HUD properties charge residents 30 percent of their income, which can fluctuate.  For participants actively enrolled in Jobs Plus, the payments stay the same, even if salaries rise, for up to 48 months, in a ‘rent-lock program.’  

HUD previously awarded PHA a Jobs Plus Initiative Program grant in 2016 that assisted residents of Hartford Park and Manton Heights developments.  Senator Reed helped secure funding to first launch the Jobs Plus program in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014.