Last month, Enterprise New York celebrated the graduation of the third cohort of Housing Career Pathways (HCP), a groundbreaking program that helps ensure the affordable housing industry – a tremendous economic engine for New York City – generates quality jobs for residents living in affordable housing.
Program participants receive four weeks of full-time training on the affordable housing industry, digital skills, and job readiness, followed by an 80-hour paid internship to prepare them for administrative roles in affordable housing management. As organizations in the affordable housing industry face widespread staffing and hiring challenges, HCP addresses this need while providing a career stepping-stone for affordable housing residents who bring passion and lived experience to the field.
One speaker at the graduation event reflected on how his participation in the first cohort not only put him on a path to a fulfilling career, but spurred improvements in other aspects of his life as well: With a quality job, hard work, and a little luck, he is settling into a new two-bedroom apartment with his family. “We wouldn't have had the knowledge, nor the funds, to make this move happen without the opportunities granted to us by the HCP program.”
A graduate of the most recent cohort said “…our common goal is learning as many professional skills as possible to serve people by [helping them find] affordable housing.” Speaking directly to her fellow graduates, she shared her optimism for what lay ahead. “How significant is the work we will be doing. We put people first, add value to them and serve them… We will all do great things, and I could not be more excited for the next chapter of all our lives!”
Since HCP’s launch in 2022, a total of 38 participants have completed the program and 25 affordable housing property management firms have hosted interns or hired graduates. More than 80 percent of the graduates who completed their internships have transitioned into full-time roles, securing jobs with an average wage of over $45,000 per year and 90 percent of them being offered benefits.
The program is a partnership between Enterprise, The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development the New York City Housing Authority and Brooklyn Workforce Innovations. Our collaboration with affordable housing providers has also been critical to informing the program design and curriculum content as well as internships and long-term employment.
Given the success of the program and continued need to foster economic mobility for residents of affordable housing, we intend to continue Housing Career Pathways beyond its pilot stage, with additional cohorts planned for the near future.
Enterprise thanks Annaly Capital Management, Capital One, Enterprise New York Gotham Society, the Enterprise New York Moms4Moms Committee, Enterprise New York Blue Sky donors, Goldman Sachs and the Public Housing Community Fund, whose generous support made this initiative possible.