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Utah’s most aggressive effort to end chronic homelessness and reduce overall homelessness started in 2004. Although “Housing First” guides the plan, providing employment and work readiness activities was part of this vision. Beginning in 2010, plans were developed to provide supported employment opportunities for formerly chronically homeless individuals. Palmer Court, a permanent supportive housing (PSH) facility with both single adults and families, was selected as the employment pilot test site.

Since October 2009, the Humanitarian Center Program has provided daily jobs skills training (4 hours) and English language classes (4 hours) to refugees seeking to gain employment to help support themselves and their families. This partnership program between Utah’s Department of Workforce Services (DWS) and the LDS church seeks to “help participants improve their employable skills so that they will be job-ready and able to move into family-supporting paid employment at some time within approximately 12 months of program entry.”