HES delivers practical, plain-language financial literacy sessions directly inside homeless re-entry shelters across Los Angeles — meeting residents exactly where they are.
Connect With UsMost shelter programs address food, clothing, and a bed — but leave residents without the financial knowledge they need to stay housed once they leave. HES closes that gap with sessions that are direct, respectful, and built for where people actually are in life.
How to open and keep a checking or savings account. Understanding fees and how to avoid them.
How to plan for your income — no matter how small. Needs vs. wants. Tracking what you spend.
What a credit score is, how it affects your life, and step-by-step ways to build or repair it.
How taxes work, how to file a return, and how to claim credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Recognizing predatory lenders, payday loan traps, check-cashing scams, and fraud schemes.
Setting short-term savings targets. Understanding what landlords look for. Building toward stability.
No transportation. No sign-up process. Sessions are held inside your facility, on a schedule that works for your residents.
Plain language, large print. We learn where each resident is starting from so we can teach at the right level.
One topic per visit. Plain language, real examples, no jargon. Everyone is welcome regardless of education level.
Every resident leaves with a reference guide on that session's topic — something they can keep, re-read, and use on their own.
Six topics, then we start again. Residents who attend more sessions build a complete financial foundation over time.
Homeless Economical Services is a financial literacy initiative operating under Southern California Economical Workforce (SCEW), a nonprofit founded in 2013 and based in Los Angeles.
Our founder, Jan Hill, combines decades of tax preparation experience through CJ Tax Service with a personal commitment to economic empowerment for underserved populations.
The people we serve were not failed by laziness or bad choices. They were failed by a system that never taught them the basics. That is what we are here to fix — one session at a time.
"You cannot stay housed if you cannot manage money. And you cannot manage money if nobody ever showed you how."— Jan Hill, Founder, HES / SCEW
Shelter operators, social service providers, and organizations interested in bringing HES to their residents are welcome to reach out directly.