COLUMBUS, OH – Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s proposal for “South Side Career Homes” was named as a contract awardee in Phase 1 of Fannie Mae’s Sustainable Communities Innovation Challenge (The Challenge).
Nationwide Children’s is partnering with Community Development for All People (CD4AP) and Goodwill Columbus Workforce Development on the South Side Career Homes project. The project will include affordable housing within one mile of the hospital and integrated healthcare workforce training that goes beyond entry-level jobs. Job coaching assistance and recruitment/retention support of rental candidates with average median income below 80 percent will be provided. The focus will be on the recruitment of tenants who are most interested in healthcare career opportunities and the project will provide:
*career assistance to community residents
*a boot camp for unemployed and underemployed participants
*linkage with Goodwill and Nationwide Children’s U.S. Department of Labor
sponsored “Careers in Technology” program, which includes paid internships at
Nationwide Children’s in Information Technology (IT)
*a new career navigator with IT certification, combined with a South Side
Employee Coaching team along with facilitated hiring
*a CD4AP coordinator for building, transportation, facilities, program
management and rental recruitment
“We believe the South Side Career Homes project is the first of its kind in the U.S.,” said Kelly Kelleher, MD, MPH, director of the Center for Innovation in Pediatric Practice in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and vice president for Community Health and Services Research at the hospital. “Fannie Mae’s Sustainable Communities Innovation Challenge contract award provides essential funds to develop our plan for a sustainable South Side neighborhood.”
The Challenge is a $10 million initiative launched in December 2017, aimed at developing collaborative, cross-sector approaches that advance sustainable communities to help address the nation’s affordable housing issues. Phase 1 focused on supporting the research, design, and development of new ideas and innovative solutions at the intersection of affordable housing and employment and economic opportunities. Fannie Mae received hundreds of proposals from across the U.S., and Nationwide Children’s submission was one of three selected as contract awardees for Phase 1 of The Challenge.
“We are honored to have been selected as the workforce development partner for this exceedingly unique project,” said Goodwill President and CEO Margie Pizzuti. “Goodwill Columbus has a nearly 80-year history as provider of employment solutions in our community. This innovative collaborative exemplifies the principle that it ‘takes a village’ to assist individuals with a hand up, that will set them on a pathway to sustainable, living wage employment. From industry recognized certifications, to basic office skills, we look forward to positioning central Ohio as a community of choice in which to live and work.”
"South Side Career Homes is an exciting opportunity to couple affordable housing with job training to transform lives in our community," said CD4AP Strategic Initiatives Director Katelin Hansen. "We are excited to be a part of this initiative, and look forward to working with our partners to help our neighbors get good paying jobs and afford safe, decent places to live."
To learn more about The Challenge visit www.fanniemae.com/thechallenge.