How Employers and the Business Community
Are you joining the Fight to End Homelessness

1. The Economic Cost of Homelessness
Homelessness isn’t just a moral crisis; it’s an economic one.
💸Cities spend millions annually on emergency services, policing, and hospitalizations tied to unsheltered homelessness.
📉Businesses lose revenue when downtowns are destabilized.
🧑‍🏭Employers struggle to fill jobs when workers can’t afford to live nearby

The business case for housing is clear and urgent.

2. Second-Chance Hiring: From Risk to ROI
Programs like [Ready to Work San Joaquin Valley] (https://secondchancebusinesscoalition.org/ready-to-work-san-joaquin-valley) are proving that formerly unhoused and justice-impacted individuals can thrive when given a shot.
🔹 Paid transitional employment
🔹 Job coaching and retention support
🔹 Employer partnerships in construction, manufacturing, and logistics
Result: Increased workforce participation, reduced recidivism, and stronger communities.

3. Employer-Led Housing Solutions
Some companies are going beyond hiring:
🏢 In Silicon Valley, tech firms are investing in workforce housing for low-wage employees.
🏨 In Los Angeles, hospitality groups are converting underused hotels into transitional housing. 
🏗️ In Stockton, developers are exploring mixed-use projects that include shelter beds and job training centers. Lesson: When business invests in housing, everyone wins.

4. Business Coalitions for Justice
Groups like the [Second Chance Business Coalition] (https:/secondchancebusinesscoalition.org/ready-to-work-san-joaquin-valley) and local chambers of commerce are:
   – Hosting employer education events
   – Offering tax credit guidance for hiring returning citizens
   – Advocating for zoning reform and housing incentives
This isn’t charity, it’s strategy.

5. What Stockton Can Do
✅ Launch a “Hire Housing First” employer pledge
✅ Create incentives for businesses that support transitional housing
✅ Partner with local orgs like Ready to Work and Five Keys for reentry hiring
✅ Host business roundtables on housing, workforce, and public safety