A Case Study in Workforce Development and Community Building with Wilmington Housing Authority

Case Study Solution Overview and Scope of Work

Problem Statement: Wilmington faces significant challenges in providing equitable access to advanced technology, skills development, and employment opportunities, especially for underserved populations. Young people from underrepresented communities, including people of color and those from low-income households, often lack the resources and infrastructure necessary to enter high-demand fields such as IT and housing development. These gaps in access to technology and workforce training create barriers to social mobility, contributing to a cycle of unemployment and underemployment in the region.

Proposed Solution: The Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA) is addressing these challenges by creating a high-tech coworking space that provides access to state-of-the-art tools and fosters collaboration with employers in IT and construction. This coworking space will serve as a hub for young people to engage in hands-on training, receive mentorship from industry leaders, and participate in job placement programs. To promote the space and ensure accessibility for individuals with limited resources, WHA will offer a free six-month membership. After this period, memberships will transition to a fee-based model for organizations to ensure a sustainable revenue stream. By offering affordable or free access to technology and workspace, WHA aims to bridge the gap between opportunity and talent, creating pathways to high-wage careers in growing industries.

The 3,500+ square foot coworking space will be equipped with advanced technology, such as software development tools, construction design software, and smart boards, to ensure that participants have the resources necessary to develop marketable skills and drive innovation. We partnered with PowerBX, which provides booking software, technology, and an online, user-friendly membership experience, and SpaceAgent, a technology platform that democratizes commercial real estate by enabling geo-specific community building. SpaceAgent’s technology enhances the coworking space's impact by creating opportunities for local community connections, cultivating a lead base, and fostering a robust network between participants, employers, and the broader community. By using SpaceAgent’s lead generation tools to enrich community data, the coworking space becomes a central hub where brands, teams, and individuals can connect, share resources, and collaborate effectively.

SpaceAgent also supports the promotion and accessibility of the coworking space, making it easier to reach potential users in the local area. For example, geo-specific data enrichment allows WHA to target individuals, companies, and community organizations that could benefit from access to shared spaces and training resources, ensuring that underrepresented communities are fully aware of the opportunities available.

The project will foster relationships between participants and local employers, creating direct pathways to employment through internships, apprenticeships, and job shadowing opportunities. By integrating community resources and workforce development, WHA’s solution tackles the structural challenge of inequitable access to technology and employment.

Research shows that coworking spaces foster collaboration, enhance innovation, and reduce barriers for new entrepreneurs and small businesses. This impact will be amplified because our coworking space will be accessible free of charge for our YouthBuild participants, who are primarily youth of color. By providing access to high-quality tools, mentorship, and geo-specific opportunities identified by SpaceAgent, coworking spaces help individuals develop marketable skills and launch new ventures, directly contributing to economic growth. Studies also indicate that coworking spaces create positive economic ripple effects by increasing employment opportunities and supporting new business formation in high-growth industries like IT​.

Evidence supports our focus on the housing and construction industry. Currently, “for every five people leaving [the construction] industry, just one is entering. At this rate, and over the next three years, the shortage of new workers could stall Delaware’s economic engine that is now restarting.” The construction industry is described as “a lifeblood of Delaware’s economy and one that for years has driven economic growth in the state” (A Better Delaware, 2024). By providing resources, entrepreneurial tools, and a robust network of opportunities in the construction space, we will quickly address the gaps in this high-demand field.

This project aligns with several of the EDA’s investment priorities:

- Equity: WHA’s coworking space, supported by SpaceAgent, focuses on providing opportunities to underserved communities, particularly people of color and low-income youth, advancing equity in access to high-demand sectors such as IT and housing development.

- Workforce Development: By providing skills training and fostering relationships between employers and job seekers, WHA’s coworking space supports workforce development in critical and emerging industries, contributing to regional economic growth.

- Technology-Based Economic Development: With the help of SpaceAgent’s community-building technology, the project provides access to advanced technological tools, fosters innovation, and aligns with the EDA’s focus on technology-driven economic development. Technology-Based Economic Development: With the help of SpaceAgent’s community-building technology, the project provides access to advanced technological tools, fosters innovation, and aligns with the EDA’s focus on technology-driven economic development.

The partnership with SpaceAgent has enabled WHA to democratize access to commercial real estate and technology resources, helping to transform an underutilized space into a thriving community center. The innovative use of geo-specific tools, community engagement features, and enriched data capabilities means that Wilmington’s coworking space is not just a place to work, but a springboard for participants to access opportunities, build skills, and create sustainable economic growth in the region.