This article was originally published in the Daily Gazette.
The Saratoga Springs Department of Public Works is aiming to fill three to four part-time seasonal positions with unhoused individuals as part of a new pilot program it recently announced called DPW Helping Hands.
DPW Commissioner Jason Golub said the idea was inspired by discussions surrounding how best to aid the unhoused and recent conversation with people at the interim homeless shelter on Adelphi Street.
“Once an individual has a roof over their heads and three square meals, it allows them the opportunity to focus on things they couldn’t otherwise focus on and I think that’s exactly what happens as soon as the shelter was open and these folks had these two things,” Golub said. “I went over there and immediately people were saying ‘I want to work,’ ‘Theses are my skills,’ ‘This is what I can do.’”
Individuals receiving services from either RISE Housing and Support Services, which is running the interim shelter, or Shelters of Saratoga, which operates the county’s Code Blue program, will be able to apply for the program, according to a recent post on the DPW’s Facebook page.
“It’s our mission to help people in our community stay in the community safely, and move towards self-sufficiency,” said Lindsey Connors, associate executive director of RISE. “We’re very excited Saratoga Springs DPW is providing the opportunity for some of our guests to re-enter the workforce. A number of our guests have already expressed interest in finding work. It’s the finest example of the housing-first model. When basic needs are met, folks are then able to focus on the next step.”
Individuals participating in the program will perform jobs such as cleaning, painting, mowing, planting and trail maintenance.
Golub said the city already had an existing budget line for part-time workers, so it will use funds from that and then request additional funding in next year’s budget with the goal of having six positions.
“Six doesn’t mean it’s only going to be six people,” he said. “It could be six for Q1 [quarter one] and then two of them could get full-time jobs with Bonacio [Construction] and then as they roll off — and then the program’s done exactly what we want it to do — and two new people can now join the program.”
He said this gives them the opportunity to explore jobs. The department has already hired one individual who has been painting fire hydrants in the city. Golub said the man has done a beautiful job of it.
Shelters of Saratoga Executive Director Duane Vaughn said this is an amazing program.
“One of the things that some of the people who we serve need most of all is an opportunity to work,” he said, “so this definitely provides a hand up, which is what we want to provide for the people we serve, so we look forward to hearing more from the city on this.”