2022 Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Impact Report - Report - Page 35
SPOTLIGHT
391
Residents attended hiring events
CHA Hiring Event Leads to a Job Working
on the Redevelopment of Lawson House
41
Members participated in CHA’s
Business Academy
70
Businesses attending “Doing Business with
CHA Forums”
Jamara Fleming had been going through a rough time. She had a
crisis with her infant son and didn’t have a stable job. That’s when
she decided to attend a Metropolitan Family Services job-ready
program that led to a carpentry certification. A pivotal conversation
with her cousin convinced her to attend a CHA hiring event that
ultimately led to a job as a Project Safety Manager’s Assistant at
Walsh Construction. Fleming was assigned to work on a major
affordable housing project – the redevelopment of Lawson House
(see Pg. 15 for more details).
When CHA CEO Scott met Fleming on a tour of Lawson House
in spring 2023, she had been on the job for seven months, her
situation with her son was stabilized, and she was about to move
into a new West Side apartment with a Housing Choice Voucher.
“I see myself becoming a Regional Manager one day, working at
multiple sites and bringing more people together,” she said.
When Scott caught up with her again at the opening of Lawson
House in spring 2024, Fleming was still employed at Walsh, and
had recently been promoted into an expanded role.
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