Summary

Through a widely accessible, permanent online training program the proposed education project will teach professionals serving local homeless populations in Dallas Fort Worth and the greater Atlanta metro area how to use transportation as a transformative tool to improve mobility and quality of life of those they serve. Through partnership with local homeless coalitions the proposed project forms a cross systems council of individuals including social work, engineering, housing, transportation, and other social services to develop training targeted at structural barriers of transportation rather than piecemeal transportation resources. This has the goal of increasing the reintegration of individuals experiencing homelessness into larger society. The training will target not only front-line service staff but also mid- and high-level program professionals within the coalitions for a systemic influence within coalition agencies. Thus, not only will the workforce in these coalitions see transportation as essential to mitigating homelessness, they will also have the tools to use for this transformative process.