Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh (left) and Onondaga County Executive J. Ryan McMahon II discuss the “hire ground workforce development” program that seeks to provide jobs for the homeless. The City of Syracuse and Onondaga County have issued a request-for-proposal for “qualified partners” in the program. The two leaders addressed it with reporters in McMahon’s office late Monday morning. (Eric Reinhardt / BJNN)
The entities issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking “qualified partners” on Monday morning. Proposals are due by 4:00 p.m. on Jan. 11, 2019, per the news release.
Onondaga County Executive J. Ryan McMahon II and Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh addressed the program with reporters in McMahon’s office late Monday morning.
“We are looking for partners that will allow us to proactively engage with those that are on the street corners, that are living outside, to be able to connect them to workforce-development opportunities but also to the services that they need,” Walsh said in his remarks.
The City of Syracuse will be administering the program, the Syracuse mayor added.
The program has a $200,000 budget, and the funding comes from the Onondaga County tax on Syracuse residents.
“That was secured through the budget process this year,” said McMahon.
Local officials got the idea for this program by exploring what other communities are doing to address similar issues, including Albuquerque, New Mexico, which Walsh cited in his remarks.
About the program
The RFP calls for the selected partner to arrange transportation for up to eight local panhandlers and/or homeless individuals per day to take to specific city/county identified work-site or sites three times per week.
The program will determine designated pick-up sites, according to community need. Staff will “engage” with the workers to establish relationships and identify needed services.
Ultimately, the program’s goal is to connect “hard to reach and serve individuals to needed services through a work experience while promoting dignity in working.”
“All these individuals will probably be homeless but they key is once you can engage and you get an opportunity where they will engage in this type of program, you can get the other services that they need put in front of them so they can really take that next step,” McMahon said in addressing reporters.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
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