In a memo dated November 8, 2019 visible in full here, Assistant City Manager Tom Modica describes the "City of Long Beach Homeless Employment Pilot Program" but doesn't specify in dollar terms how much it will cost taxpayers...except that the funds will come from CA taxpayers through the City's use of one-time Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) funds from Sacramento.

The memo describes two separate components to the City's "Homeless Employment Pilot Program":

• City Subsidized Work Activity: Fifteen City-recruited/screened/selected homeless persons will receive 320 hours of paid work, including transportation to/from work sites for 4-5 hour shifts at parks, Public Works projects or other City work site to perform a "variety of short term tasks." They'll be supervised by an onsite "Employment Liaison," a formerly homeless person partially funded by a grant with Mental Health America. The 15 homeless persons will receive a snack, a full meal and same-day payment...although the memo doesn't say how much they'd be paid.

• Supportive Employment Activities: Another group of 15 City-recruited/screened homeless persons will receive what the memo calls supportive work readiness, job search and job placement assistance "to help them transition existing skills into a new job or access training scholarships of up to $7,500." The program would offer employers "hiring incentives" with 50% reimbursement of wages for an initial hiring period.

The memo indicates city staff will begin recruiting the Homeless Peer Liaison and homeless participants by November 15.