PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After struggling to fill crucial seasonal roles, the City of Gresham has come up with a creative approach to address the worker shortage by placing applications in the hands of those who may need it most – starting with the city’s local homeless community.
As outlined in a release Wednesday, members of Gresham’s Homeless Services Team will begin distributing applications for public utility worker positions to those encountered on the job, in addition to offering help with the application process.
Gresham said the innovative tactic was developed in an effort to combat a continued worker shortage at the city’s operations center, which still has more than 30 vacant positions to fill.
“Gresham’s Homeless Services Team connects people experiencing homelessness with the resources they need including employment,” stated Community Services Manager Jessica Harper. “Some of our staff have lived experience with homelessness and for them, getting a reliable, well-paying job was one of the main things that propelled them off the streets and into stable housing.”
Harper continued, “I am excited that these seasonal Public Utility Worker positions may offer that same opportunity to someone experiencing homelessness in Gresham today.”
The three specialists with the city’s Homeless Services Team will begin handing out applications for roles that start in May and continue for up to six months. Pay for the seasonal positions is listed at $19.27 per hour.
“The team is intentional about connecting people with the resources they need whether it be shelter or employment opportunities,” City officials stated. “We are proud of our teams for continuously finding innovative solutions that benefit the entire community.”