Housing Authority of Bowling Green

1. Housing Authority of Bowling Green Welfare to Work Program Abraham Williams, Executive Director Email: awilliams@habg.org Katie Miller Stevens, Grants Manager Email: kmiller@habg.org 270.843.6071 www.habg.org

2. About Us… • Have 598 Public Housing Units in 5 different developments • 72% of Households led by women • 1,133 residents • Residents Age • Under 18 41% • 18-34 23% • 35-54 21% • 55 and over 15% • Resident Ethnicity • African American 504 • Eastern European 187 • Caucasian 154 • African Immigrant 97 • Asian 82 • Multi-Racial 38 • Hispanic 36 • Central/South American 30 • Other 5

3. REACH HIGHER • REACH HIGHER • Welfare to Work Program • Started because of the change in terms in receiving AFDC/KTAP. Had over 80 public housing residents who received welfare. • Approached the Cabinet in 1996 with a plan to take and keep people off of welfare. To date we have had over 500 graduates with a 91% placement rate in unsubsidized employment and 80% retention rate. Graduates have gone on to receive degrees, full-time jobs as well as purchase homes • Funded by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services • Received $1,284,406 for years 2010-2012

4. REACH HIGHER • Creates opportunities for participants to enhance personal abilities, assist with overcoming barriers to self-sufficiency, move into the workforce, retain employment, and ultimately remove participants from welfare • 6 months of paid job skills training • 32 hours per week • 4 hours on Friday’s for job and lifeskills training • Retention service is available to graduates • Car repair assistance, assistance with liability insurance, pre-employment work related expenses such as interview clothing, drug screens, uniforms, licensure fees etc. while the client is in program and for up to six months upon successful completion of the program. Participants can receive up to $800 for these items. • Job and Lifeskills Training • Includes topics such as: • Learning to Handle Negativity • Employment Ethics • Goal Setting/Action Steps • Empowerment • Interviewing, resumes, job hunting, etc. • Budget/Credit

5. Women and Kids Camp • WKU Women’s Studies Women and Kids Learning Together Summer Camp • Began in 2006, partnership with WKU’s Women’s Studies Program • Targets low income and under-educated women • The one week camp offers information and experience in arts and education, practical living, health and wellness, and human services. • 2011 camp served 20 adult participants and 30 youth participants • Approximate cost of the camp is $16,000 funded by various grants and private donations thru WKU Women’s Studies. • To date over 130 women and 100 kids have attended the camp. • An endowment for scholarships has been setup at WKU for any graduate or child who has attended the camp.

6. Educational Information • TRIO Program Educational Opportunity Centers • Began Partnership with TRIO program to assist our residents and program participants with going back to school. • Offers financial aid application assistance, personality inventories, and additional education referrals • TRIO holds office hours monthly at HABG and also provides workshops monthly to HABG REACH HIGHER participants.

7. Education • Sandy Jones Scholarship Fund • Former Mayor and Board Member Sandy Jones donated $100,000 to Western Kentucky University to assist public housing residents with going back to school. • 13 individuals were helped during the Spring 2011 semester. • The Housing Authority currently has 54 residents enrolled in post secondary education programs.

8. Legal Education/Programming • Partnered with WKU’s Paralegal program and Women’s Studies in 2010 • Provides information on: • Wills • Living Wills • Power of Attorney • Trusts • Child Support/Child Custody issues • Divorce • Criminal Issues

9. Health Promotion Programs • Health Education Programs for Reach Higher • Provided on various Fridays • Trainings include: STD prevention and HIV tests, breast, cervical, prostate and testicular cancer, skin cancer screenings, soda consumption and CPR training.

10. Other Adult Programs • REACH • Resident Income and Employment Program provides public housing residents with 40 hours a week on the job training • Homeownership Supportive Services • Provides pre-purchase homeownership preparation training and one on one counseling. Also, provides forbearance counseling. • Family Self-Sufficiency(FSS) • Targets 50 public housing for education, supportive services, homeownership preparation, and establishes escrow accounts.

11. Other Adult Programs (cont.) • City of Bowling Green CDBG Small Business • WKU’s Small Business Development Center holds training classes and provides small business counseling to minorities and other low income individuals • JARC No Excuses Transportation • Funded by the Kentucky Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration. Provides transportation services to and from work in the Bowling Green/Warren County area 24 hours per day 7 days a week.

12. Other Adult Programs (cont.) • Neighborhood Stabilization – NSP 1 • Funds were used to purchase and rehabilitate 12 foreclosed homes and construct 5 new homes in the Lee Square Subdivision. All homes will be sold to low-, moderate-, and middle-income homebuyers • Sherwin Williams HomeWork Program • Training provides participants with the proper way to paint a home. Also, provides lead based paint removal instruction.