New Mesa residence hall gives young adults leaving foster care a home and career training

PHOENIX — County leaders are throwing their support behind the newly opened HopeTech residence hall in Mesa.

The program provides safe housing and technical career training for Arizona students and adults transitioning out of the foster care system.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved a $150,000 grant to support the 64-bed hall last week.

HopeTech, an East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) project, opened its pilot semester in July with 16 residents.

EVIT Supervisor Chad Wilson said the county’s decision to approve the grant will fund a program that helps underserved youths.

“Their generous donation is going to allow us to continue to do the work that we believe has the opportunity to change the lives of individuals,” Wilson told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

How HopeTech residence hall will help foster youth

HopeTech allows students an affordable place to live as they work toward their high school diploma, GED or complete classes at EVIT. It will also offer transportation services to help residents attend appointments and trainings.

The dual offering of housing and support services, such as career training, for foster youth makes this program the first of its kind in Arizona, Wilson said.

“It’s the first in Arizona, and, arguably, across the country, in which foster youth that have aged out or are aging out of the system can come live with us in a safe environment,” Wilson said.

This is important because many foster youths aging out of the system are more focused on survival than thriving in a long-term career path. The need for shelter becomes a barrier, which HopeTech will alleviate.

“One of the reasons why we leaned into the foster youth space is because they’re some of the most disserviced, disenfranchised subgroup of students in the state of Arizona,” Wilson said.

Not only will it provide shelter, but it will also give residents a pathway to an industry certification through career and technical education.

“The opportunity … is beneficial to not only the students, but their kids, and their kids’ kids,” Wilson said. “It becomes a transformational, generational opportunity to change lives.”

He also said HopeTech will help Valley communities. He pointed to data that shows a high percentage of foster youth may be incarcerated or experience homelessness.

“If we can reduce that by having programming that allows them to have a job that puts them on a pathway towards prosperity, not only we change their lives, but we’ve added value back to our communities,” Wilson said.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Balin Overstolz McNair contributed to this report.