strengthened by philanthropic support , exemplify how integrating community health workers into health care teams can drive substantial improvements in public health and workforce development .
Housing
“ Over the past three years , there have been announcements of very significant investments in our region ,” says Terrell Ellis , president and CEO of Advantage Valley , Inc . “ Nucor Steel , Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Titanium Metals Corporation , among others , are projected to create 5,359 direct and 17,506 indirect jobs leading to 13,000 new households .”
To accommodate this growth , Advantage Valley has identified critical barriers to employment , focusing on childcare , transportation and affordable housing . Ellis highlights a regional housing study commissioned to assess and improve housing availability and affordability . The study revealed 28.2 % of employers indicated difficulty in attracting or retaining employees due to housing issues and 69 % of employers were likely to employ more people if additional housing was built .
Transportation remains a challenge throughout rural areas in the state . Of the nine counties in the region , only Cabell and Kanawha have public transportation .
“ Some of our largest job announcements and investments are in the more rural counties with no public transportation ,” Ellis says . “ We must find a way to transport people from our urban neighborhoods that have the highest concentrations of poverty and minority residents to where the jobs are located .”
Advantage Valley is working to develop an integrated system of providers to serve the region with a goal of completing a plan to expand transportation assets for job seekers in the region . This strategy will leverage traditional and nontraditional providers , such as on-demand , private Uber-type services .
The Advantage Valley regional housing study hosted in January of 2024 . Photo by Advantage Valley .
The WVU Parkersburg Foundation partnered with the Wood County Development Authority to create a strategic plan for development of the property to meet community needs . Its purchase of the closed higher education property included 255.22 acres , which will provide space for additional housing in the Vienna and Wood County areas .
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