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Chapter 7: Income • Expand and improve eadsting homeless targeted work force development efforts. Increase existing homeless work force development efforts, and ensure they are funded to provide a full range of needed services, including: outreach, vocational counseling and assessment, a range of work skills training and education, work readiness, a range of internship and apprenticeship opportunities, work culture orientation, literacy training, resume preparation, job search and placement support, Job Club activities, and follow-up to track job retention. This could include establishing one or more new or branch homeless work force development programs in Mid and/or South County, and underserved North County areas such as West and East Oakland ideally in coordination with Welfare Reform Plans Self-Sufficiency Centers. • Advocate to ensure that Self-Sufficiency Centers established under Alameda County Welfare reform effort, PIC One-Stop Care Centers and other County training/placement programs provide information and referrals, job listings and resume services in a manner that meets homeless peoples needs. ~ Advocate for lengthened training time for those on GA and TANF so that they can realistically achieve work readiness and employment goals. • Explore the benefit and feasibility of required homeless hiring targets or preferences in awarding contracts to contractors, service providers and housing operators that employ homeless and formerly homeless people. Five Year Strategies Topic 1 Income Supports Inadequate income to meet basic needs, especially housing, is a leading cause of homelessness, and places many households at risk of becoming homeless. Income adequacy for all homeless people, therefore, is a primary goal for this plan. For most people this income must come from employment, and the majority of the recommendations in this section are intended to promote employment. But a large portion of the homeless population must rely on income supports at some time to meet their basic needs. For some who are homeless due to job loss, family break-up or other temporary setback, these income supports are a temporary measure to sustain them through transition and into employment again. For others who cannot work, or whose employment income is inadequate to meet family needs, income supports are a permanent part of life. Alameda County-Wide Homeless Continuum of Care Plan: April 1997 93