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Chapter 7: Income <br />Topic 4 Economic Development <br />In addition to hiring incentives and public sector jobs, new jobs for homeless people can be <br />created through the development of microenterprises and small businesses. Some of the <br />enterprises may be associated with existing service or housing agencies, acting as a for profit <br />wing of the agency which benefits both agency and homeless or formerly homeless employees <br />and operators. Others may be developed independently by groups of homeless entrepreneurs <br />with assistance from agencies or start-up funding. Some organizations have already <br />established fledgling operations which are providing services in the community. These efforts <br />require consistent nurturing in the start-up phase and may require ongoing support from <br />outside ,but the benefits of employment, training, and self-sufficiency are often worth the <br />continued assistance. <br />~ Expand the number of livable wage jobs for homeless people through for profit <br />homeless enterprises. <br />Action Stens <br />Maintain existing nonprofit based and independent homeless enterprises <br />established to train and employ homeless people. Support them by providing <br />sole source local government contracts for goods and services they produce. <br />Establish a homeless enterprise task force with members from nonprofits, local <br />government, business and banks, unions, and homeless people, as a forum for <br />expanding existing businesses, identifying new business opportunities, <br />developing startup funding, and for dissemination of training and technical <br />assistance materials for those who want to start new homeless enterprises. <br />Fund programs that provide technical assistance, loans or grants, and other <br />activities which encourage and facilitate entrepreneurship among homeless <br />people, as well as non-profit sponsored micro-enterprises. This may include <br />supporting non profits to serve as small business incubators and helping groups <br />of homeless people start self-managed savings "banks" or pools, through which <br />they make interest-bearing loans to support each others' micro enterprises. <br />Alameda County-Wide Homeless Continuum of Care Plan: April 1997 <br />99 <br />