Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution authorizes the acceptance of a $75,000 Employment Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Division of Energy, Housing and Community Resources (DEHCR) and amends the Community Development Division's 2024 Operating Budget to include the grant funds. The required local match of $10,000 is available from the City's award of 2022 National League of Cities Youth Excel grant funds ($75,000). The resolution further authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into an agreement with the YWCA of Madison, Inc. to implement the activities for which the grant award is provided.
Title
Authorizing the City of Madison to accept an Employment Grant (EG) award of $75,000 from the Wisconsin Division of Energy, Housing and Community Resources (DEHCR) to be administered by the City’s Community Development Division (CDD); authorizing the Mayor to sign any requisite agreement with the State to formally accept these EG grant funds from DEHCR; authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute an agreement with YWCA of Madison, Inc. to carry out the goals of this grant; and amending CDD’s 2024 Adopted Operating Budget as appropriate.
Body
BACKGROUND
In December 2022, the City of Madison, in partnership with YWCA of Madison, Inc., applied for and received grant funding for the 2023 calendar year, through the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Division of Energy, Housing and Community Resources (DEHCR) Employment Grant (EG) Program. The goal of the EG grant was to implement short and long-term training programs and practices that support equitable economic recovery and growth for homeless and marginalized young adults who are interested in careers in the STEM workforce.
In October 2023, the City of Madison, again in partnership with YWCA, re-applied for the EG grant funding for the 2024 calendar year through DEHCR’s Employment Grants Program. In December of 2023, the applicants were notified that they were again awarded the EG grant funding for the same purpose during the 2024 calendar year.
The required matching funds for this EG grant will come from the City of Madison’s National League of Cities (NLC) Youth Excel grant award that promotes increased access to education and training for marginalized youth and young adults interested in STEM careers.
Under the State EG grant, the YWCA will once again provide training and support services through their YWeb Career Academy program to young adults in Madison who experience homelessness. Grant funds will be used to pay the participants for the training academy hours. YWCA will partner and sub-contract with the City’s Community Development Division (CDD), in support of the City's goal of building human capital by prioritizing the provision of employment-related services and supports to unemployed or underemployed adults who face multiple barriers to employment to connect them to family-supporting jobs.
In and around Madison and Dane County, math, science, and technology-related education and training are in high demand in the emerging workforce economy. In the last 15 years, local changes in employment by occupation are led by computer and mathematical occupations, followed closely by heath care support, business, financial, and educational instruction. The City’s investments in education and training for these needed skills and career options will help improve the trajectory of young adults by building strong pathways to quality jobs in STEM industries and promote long-term family and community economic security.
CDD already supports various homeless and employment programs and has existing partnerships with the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD), Madison College, the UW Health Occupations and Professions Exploration Program (HOPE), United Way of Dane County, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, the Youth Employment Network of Greater Madison, Employment Training Network and the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin. These partnerships will allow for the further growth of programming for residents. These EG grant funds will bolster program outcomes for local participants and community-based agencies to target and improve outcomes for homeless young adult participants, resulting in equitable access to education and training for careers in the STEM workforce. Outcomes from this grant will be used to identify strengths and needs for ongoing resources within the community.
ACTION
WHEREAS, the City of Madison’s Community Development Division (CDD) applied for, and has been awarded, a $75,000 Employment Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Division of Energy, Housing and Community Resources (DEHCR) to continue support for the Connecting people experiencing homelessness with permanent employment program; and,
WHEREAS, through this initiative, CDD will provide funding to YWCA of Madison, Inc., via a contract to provide paid stipends to City of Madison young adults who experience homelessness and are participating in the agency’s YWeb Career Academy program; and,
WHEREAS, CDD’s 2024 Adopted Operating Budget currently supports programming that focuses on economic mobility opportunities, such as employment training, financial literacy, and other community-based programming, as part of a broader strategy to support household stabilization; and,
WHEREAS, CDD continues to explore ways to improve these services and expand economic opportunity through collaboration with other government bodies, non-governmental funders, educational institutions, and financial institutions.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council authorizes the City of Madison to accept a $75,000 Employment Grant from DEHCR, to be administered by CDD; and authorizes the Mayor to sign any requisite agreement with DEHCR to formally accept these funds; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Community Development Division’s 2024 Adopted Operating Budget is hereby amended to reflect the receipt of the $75,000 in State EG grant revenue and commensurate expenditures; and,
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Council authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into an agreement with the YWCA of Madison, Inc., to implement the activities for which these State EG grant funds are provided.