Mayor Bass Expands Life-Changing Services for Formerly Homeless Angelenos, Departs from Status Quo

LOS ANGELES — Mayor Bass announced a new program to help formerly unhoused Angelenos stay off the street by providing job training, support and other services. CareerConnect is intended to bolster existing employment services which have already helped more than one hundred formerly homeless Angelenos in Inside Safe secure jobs and employment opportunities. Over the last two years, more people have come inside than in the years before with unprecedented urgency. 

“We have taken a new approach over the last two years that pairs housing with services in a way that allows Angelenos to get their lives back on track,” said Mayor Bass. “These results are possible because of strong partnerships that create opportunities for the City to deliver services in new ways. We are continuing that important work with the CareerConnect program, which will help connect Inside Safe participants with job training, support and services.”

CareerConnect will be funded by the U.S. Conference of Mayors Comcast Digital Equity Award, which selected the City of Los Angeles to receive $250,000 for its efforts to expand workforce readiness and make digital and online skills more accessible to people experiencing homelessness. 

CareerConnect will bolster the city’s existing job connectors initiative, which has already provided 1:1 job counseling and assistance with resumes, interviews and applications to 400 formerly unhoused Inside Safe participants to help them get “job ready.” More than 500 job applications have been submitted thus far by Inside Safe residents. The job connectors initiative was launched in August of 2023 to support the integration of the city’s WorkSource centers with interim housing and other housing initiatives.