The city of Tempe continues to expand its innovative Tempe Works program, which provides shelter and employment to those facing homelessness in the community.
The project began in 2017, when Councilmember Randy Keating presented the concept to the City Council. From here, the idea was brought to life by a City Manager’s working group, led by Councilmember Robin Arredondo-Savage, Councilmember Joel Navarro and Keating. The program is made possible by a collaboration between various city departments, I-HELP, Corporate Job Bank, Tempe Community Action Agency, as well as other contributors.
The first Tempe Works participants were two men who joined the program at the beginning of 2018. They were given access to social services and housing while they worked in Public Works-related roles. Participants enrolled in the program are also provided with the equipment or materials required to conduct their jobs. The end goal of the program is to improve each individual’s situation long term, an achievement often lacking in similar programs in other cities.
To date, Tempe Works has positively impacted the lives of 41 participants.
The city recently appointed a dedicated program coordinator, committed solely to the improvement and extension of the program. Lilliana Urenda plans to implement many enhancements to Tempe Works, such as connecting participants to increased employment opportunities and fostering a deepened connection between program partners.
“We’re pretty proud of this model, because we think it’s not just putting a band-aid on a severe cut,” said Keating in an interview about the one-of-a-kind program. “We’re really addressing some of the systemic problems that these individuals are going through.”
