Jobs-Plus had three core components. First, Jobs-Plus provided public housing residents with employment and training services to help them find paid employment quickly. These services included individual job search assistance such as employment counselors and job developers, help preparing for and attending job interviews, soft skills instruction, short-term basic education, and vocational skills training. Residents also received assistance overcoming immediate barriers to employment, including child care coordination, assistance with transportation, and referrals to other community services. Second, Jobs-Plus changed public housing rent policies in the following ways: residents paid less than 30 percent of their earned income in rent, rents did not increase as their earnings increased, and residents received information about their eligibility for other federal financial supports. Third, Jobs-Plus created small groups of residents in each participating housing facility who served as coaches and information sources for their neighbors. These residents received a small stipend and were overseen by Jobs-Plus staff. Residents were eligible for services for as long as they lived in the housing community. Jobs-Plus was delivered to all working-age, nondisabled residents living in the public housing developments in which it was implemented. Jobs-Plus was implemented in Baltimore, MD; Chattanooga, TN; Dayton, OH; Los Angeles, CA; St. Paul, MN; and Seattle, WA.
Jobs-Plus was an employment and training program implemented in public housing developments to help residents increase their earnings and improve their quality of life.