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A new program being offered The Selma Housing Authority will give job seekers a chance to get a job and provide resources to help them be successful.

SHA held a kickoff event for Jobs Plus, a transformative initiative aimed at empowering job seekers in the community.

Kennard Randolph, President and CEO of Selma Housing Authority, said Selma is one of two communities in Alabama to receive the Housing and Urban Development grant, which will assist residents for four years to help them get on their feet financially. Selma received $2.3 million over the next four years.

“We’re excited about helping our residents become self-sufficient through employment opportunities, through transportation, health care and training opportunities,” Randolph said. “Partnerships with Selma University, Wallace Community College Selma, Selma City Schools, Rural Health Medical Program, Selma Career Center and so many more are going to be instrumental in helping us to make sure that our families are self-sufficient.”

The event at the George Washington Carver Homes Community Center offered residents of Felix Heights and GWC booths with the partners to connect them with the resources they need to achieve their career goals, said Natalie Lewis, director of the Jobs Plus program in Selma.

Lewis said the program allows eligible residents to keep their rental rate the same for the four-year period regardless of how much they make. The goal is to help give them a chance to be self-sufficient. Typically, rent is set by the individual’s income.

“The goal of the program is to give the residents a chance to save up so that they can be self-sufficient at the end of the program,” Lewis said. “Whatever their base rent is at the time that they sign up with the program, they’re able to keep that rent amount, no matter what their salary turns out to be once they get a job.”

Jobs Plus is a collaborative effort that connects job seekers with training, resources, and support services tailored to meet the needs of the community. The program focuses on increasing employment rates, providing career advancement opportunities and fostering a sustainable workforce.

Lewis said they have already been working to get residents signed up for the program. They’ve distributed fliers, gone door-to-door and put out door hangers to help anyone interested in the program.

“We work with the residents one-on-one, whether it is job placement, financial management, literacy or whatever is going,” Lewis said. “If they already have a job and they need to move further, go back to school, we partner with the universities and our community college, as well as others that are able to help us with childcare, transportation and tuition assistance.”

Additionally, attendees had the opportunity to learn more about the services available through Jobs Plus, including resume workshops, interview preparation and skills training sessions.

For more information on the Jobs Plus program, log on to https://selmahousing.com/jobs-plus-program/.