Job hunting is stressful, even under the best of circumstances. Imagine if you had limited access to a shower, no professional clothing choices and your transportation to and from work was intermittent at best. Add to that a gap in your work history, a lost social security card and no access to a computer to submit applications or access email consistently. Sounds impossible, right? Let’s throw one more (and the hardest to overcome) wrench in the cog – the stigma of being homeless.
Unfortunately, this is a very harsh reality for many people experiencing homelessness who desperately want a job. Lack of identification and limited access to a computer make the application process nearly impossible.
At the County’s Mather Community Campus adult singles shelter, operator Next Move is breaking down barriers, one program participant at a time. With their newly created Employment Development Program, Shelby Greenhill works tirelessly on behalf of her program participants to address the challenges of being job-ready and finding and keeping a job. It is an uphill battle, with the stigma of hiring a homeless person at the top of the list.
“In my research, I came across a 2020 study involving more than 600 employers. More than half of them mistakenly believed it was illegal to hire a homeless person for employment,” said Greenhill, the program’s sole manager. “Furthermore, 20 percent expressed concerns that hiring a homeless person would have a ‘negative’ effect on their non-homeless employees.”
If you’ve ever had the thought “If people would just get a job, they wouldn’t be homeless…” keep reading – this is for you.
Transportation
Many folks experiencing homelessness are hired for swing shift or night shift work. Unfortunately, that means they may be working outside the hours public transportation operates (5 a.m. – 11 p.m.) – leaving many folks without a reliable method to get to and from work. One program participant reported she spends nearly $400 a month on uber/lyft fees – representing nearly half her monthly income. If the program had a large van(s) and staffing to drive, they could transport these clients to/from work and ensure they do not lose job opportunities due to transportation concerns, as well as open night shift/off-hours opportunities.
Even those working traditional hours need transportation to and from work every day. The program provides bus passes, but many folks are walking a significant distance to the bus stop or their place of employment because they do not own a car.
Documentation
Lack of proper documentation is a huge issue for folks who are unhoused – whether they’re looking for a job or housing, a picture ID and a social security card are two of the basic documents needed for both. When you don’t have a file cabinet, safe deposit box or even a folder to keep your vital documents, keeping track of those items is a challenge. The Next Move employment program provides vouchers and transportation to appointments for participants to replace lost ID cards.
Access to Technology
Online applications, emails and phone calls - Oh my! Applying for a job at nearly any place of business requires access to the internet, a phone and potentially a printer. The employment program helps participants secure a phone, has a computer lab and personal assistance searching for jobs and help with the application process.
Hygiene
Look good, feel good. Imagine going on a job interview without consistent access to a shower or the availability of professional-level, clean clothing and shoes that fit. For those living in shelters, they can at least shower and do laundry leading up to an interview, but what about folks still living on the street? Even for those in shelter, accessing professional clothing that fits well and is appropriate for their job interview can feel insurmountable. Next Move is collecting professional-level clothing and shoes in all sizes, for both men and women, to build a closet for their participants to shop from leading up to an interview. Every single person deserves to search for work with dignity.
Criminal Record
For those program participants who can overcome all the aforementioned challenges, more often than not, this one stops them in their tracks. Most job applications ask if someone has been convicted of a felony, some even a misdemeanor. Check no, risk the job for lying. Check yes, you probably never make it out of “the pile.”
People make mistakes, bad choices. And people change. Marquies was in prison for 17 years for a crime he committed when he was 18 years old. He knows he screwed up; he did his time and after he was released, he chose homelessness over re-offending. Marquies is desperate for a job – pounding the proverbial pavement daily in search of a job he can be proud to work. He is bright, well-mannered, well-dressed, passionate and motivated. And it’s still not enough - because of his ancient past. The desperation and hopelessness show in his voice, not only does he want a job for income and stability, he needs a job to improve his self-image.
Shelby is working closely with Marquies and leveraging the relationships she’s built with businesses that are “felon-friendly” – meaning they will hire people with a conviction if the circumstances are right. Given a chance, Marquies is going to be a great employee.
The Stigma of Homelessness
The societal prejudice and stereotypes of the unhoused are perhaps the highest mountain Shelby’s program participants have to climb. Between the myth that homeless people are lazy, to the assertion that they are unclean, on drugs or thieves – even the cleanest, most educated participants have hurdles to overcome.
Kayla is a trained pharmacy technician. After relocating to California and finding herself homeless, the fees associated with getting relicensed in a new state were a huge barrier to her working in her field. Fortunately, the employment program at Mather has paid for her licensing and background check fees, provided her with ongoing vocational training to keep up her license requirements, and given her access to clothing and transportation options needed to get a job.
But Kayla knows that isn’t the end of her challenges. She talks with passion and conviction about overcoming the stigma of “being homeless” – even though in no way could anyone tell she’s homeless by looking at her. “It shows up in subtle differences as you integrate into a workplace, with coworkers. You don’t have a lunch to bring, you always take the bus, and you only have 2-3 different outfits to rotate through. People notice and start asking questions. And unless you’re a good liar, eventually people find out you live in a homeless shelter. They immediately start judging you, treating you differently.” And constantly trying to present as ‘normal’ is exhausting, mentally taxing.
A Community Problem, A Community Solution
Homelessness, particularly unsheltered homelessness, is a crisis in our society. People want solutions, they want to see change – systemically and visually. While access to employment and income cannot solve the entire problem, it’s a vital start to self-sufficiency.
The community can provide tangible assistance to these societal issues. If you have usable, clean professional clothing, donate. If you have a working vehicle you’re no longer using, donate it to someone who desperately needs it. If you own a business or manage hiring, hire people who are unhoused, but stable, hard-working and reliable. If you have no means to donate or hire – advocate to those that do.
Most importantly, remember that these are real people, with real history and real feelings. Committed to changing their circumstances, passionate, driven people who were just like you at one point. Life slapped them down – we can lend them a hand back up.
Shelby and the employment program are doing an incredible and tireless job of advocating for their program participants. Cold calling businesses, collecting donations and supplies, following up with businesses that said ‘no’, and providing practical and emotional support for people who feel hopeless. Barriers are being broken, slowly but surely. The program has already helped 21 participants obtain jobs since Jan.13 and enrolled 20 participants in training and schooling.
Current participants are on the brink of graduation to become nurse’s assistants, obtaining Guard Cards to become security guards, and a few are working with Northern California Construction Training to become electricians and welders!
Kayla appreciates having an advocate – someone who knows everything, knows the barriers and is shattering them one at a time. She’ll have her pharmacy tech job soon enough. Marquies is still baffled about how hard it is for him to find a job – but he knows one thing: “This program is saving my life. I want to work, and I know it is just a matter of time before I find my place, thanks to Shelby and their support. But this truly is saving my life.”
