“If you don’t have a roof over your head, other things don’t matter.”

That comment from Teresa Ward, a psychology instructor at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College, summed up the purpose and the mood of Tuesday’s Homeless and Housing Coalition of Southcentral Kentucky community conversation.

Held at the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, this first of the coalition’s four scheduled forums focused on the link between housing issues and workforce development.

And that link is real, according to South Central Workforce Development Board President and CEO Robert Boone, the guest speaker at Tuesday’s meeting.

“I hope this conversation continues,” Boone said at the conclusion of the meeting. “We will do everything we can to help with housing. It’s a fundamental workforce issue. It’s obviously an important issue.”

Housing and workforce development are inextricably linked, said SKyCTC Director of Workforce Solutions Kim Myers, who adds transportation to the mix.

“If I can’t find affordable housing that I can maintain, I’m going to have a hard time finding work,” Myers said. “And if I live out of town in order to find affordable housing, how do I get into town?”

While acknowledging the importance of housing and transportation problems, Boone pointed out that the workforce board has limited ability to address such issues.

The majority of the board’s funding comes from the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and Boone said that money isn’t normally used to address supportive services such as clothing, transportation and housing.

But, in trying to fulfill the workforce board’s mission, Boone said he is working toward expanding its funding in order to increase his ability to address more workforce issues.

“We’re looking to grow our nonprofit foundation as a first step in diversifying our funding stream,” he said.

The workforce board is also trying to meet the needs of job seekers without reliable transportation by extending its reach through affiliate sites that complement the work of the Kentucky Career Centers in Bowling Green and Glasgow.

“We now have 12 affiliate sites in the 10-county region,” Boone said. “There’s no silver bullet for workforce development. Instead, we’re looking for a silver shotgun shell by developing partnerships.

“My hope is that conversations like this will lead to more partnerships.”

Like Boone, coalition members such as George Peterson saw Tuesday’s event as beneficial. Some 30 people, roughly half of them coalition members, turned out for a meeting that Peterson hopes will draw more attention to the issues of homelessness and affordable housing.

“Until now, we’ve just been meeting amongst ourselves,” Peterson said. “These meetings are our avenue to legitimacy and can actually make a difference in getting folks to appreciate what we’re trying to accomplish.”

The coalition’s other three community conversations this year are scheduled for April 10, Aug. 14 and Nov. 23. The April meeting will be held at the Garvin House near Bowling Green Country Club.

HOTEL INC Executive Director and coalition member Rhondell Miller hopes Tuesday’s meeting is a first step in raising awareness of the work done by the coalition.

“It’s wonderful to see a full room engaging in the conversation about what’s best for our region,” she said. “I think if we continue to get the word out, it will benefit the coalition’s work.”

– Follow business reporter Don Sergent on Twitter @BGDNbusiness or visit bgdailynews.com.