Homelessness Myth #1: "Get a Job!"

This post begins a series of articles about the myths surrounding homelessness. Myths are just widely held thoughts or beliefs that are not generally true. Possibly one of the most widely expressed myths is that homeless people would not be homeless except for the fact they don't want to get a job.

First, many homeless people are employed while some even have two jobs. Usually, these people sleep under some kind of shelter. They may be living in a homeless shelter or transitional housing situation, on someone else's couch or in someone's garage. Since the foreclosure crisis, many families have formed "tent cities" from which they work.

Second, in order to get a job, people must be clean and they must wear clean clothing. Even at McDonald's and other fast-food restaurants employees are required to be clean. County, state and federal rules and regulations provide the standards by which fast-food restaurants must abide for the health and safety of their patrons.

Proper sanitation facilities are essential so that people and their clothing can be clean and meet the most basic qualification for a job--cleanliness. Without access to toilets, showers and laundry facilities, how are people to keep themselves and their clothing clean?

There are few public toilets, fewer public showers and even fewer public laundry facilities available to homeless people. Toilets and showers are available to students of community colleges, so some homeless people try to enroll in classes. Places like the YMCA have public toilets and showers, but day or membership fees are required that most homeless people cannot afford.

Some years ago, most of the public toilets available to homeless people were in fast-food restaurants or at gasoline service stations.

As the number of homeless people increased, the owners of fast-food restaurants began to lock their restroom doors and charge 10 or 25 cents per use. Of course, tokens to the restrooms were made available to restaurant patrons at the counter.

The restrooms at gasoline service stations were also closed to the public, with access to their toilets restricted through keys available only upon request by patrons. Today, a number of service stations have permanently closed their restrooms to the public by displaying "Out of Service" or "Out of Order" signs on their doors.

To be fair to the owners of fast-food restaurants and gasoline service stations, homeless people sometimes overuse restroom facilities by "bathing" in the sinks, which could potentially damage the plumbing. Other times, some homeless people may spend too long in the restrooms, thereby depriving other patrons the use of the facilities within a reasonable period of time. Further, if people have not had access to a shower or laundry facilities for a time, an odor can be detrimental to business.

How can homeless people clean themselves and their clothing? One answer to this question was the concept of "Housing First," first popularized by Tanya Tull, founder of Para Los Ninos and Beyond Shelter. This concept, which proposes housing creation for homeless people must come before or at least in tandem with job creation, has now been popularly accepted.

Unfortunately, sufficient housing for homeless people has been slow in developing and most, if not all of the shelters are full with long waiting lists for future available living space.

Offering public toilets and public showers equipped with available laundry facilities is another answer. Because there is an entire industry involved in the design, construction and rental of portable lavatories and showers, municipalities could quickly make these available to homeless people. Perhaps these public restrooms and showers could be situated near city-owned or operated laundry facilities.

Of course, municipalities could just maintain their existing public toilets and showers on a twenty-four hour a day basis, seven days a week, for their homeless residents.

Cities could also contract with existing homeless shelters to provide public toilets, showers and even laundry facilities to non-resident homeless people.

Third, not every person--housed or homeless--is capable of working. For example, in my experience, 35% of homeless people have problems with mental illness. Some of this mental illness is mild and some is totally debilitating.

To include housed or unhoused mentally ill people within the workforce requires mental health assistance. Certainly, there are mental health programs available for people regardless of their housing situation. However, unhoused people have the additional challenge of finding and pursuing mental health assistance while they have no permanent residence. I think most of us can agree this challenge could be overwhelming for many homeless people.

"Get a job!" is an easy expression to say. However, for some homeless people, getting a job is an impossible dream.

I look forward to your comments.

Comments

[pooka47401]

I became homeless after I ran out of financial aid to remain in the University. I had 2 small children that I had to let live with their Father for a while. I lived in a friend's garage until I found a job and saved enough money to pay a deposit and first month's rent. I have used that experience when dealing with my clients who are homeless. A majority of the people that were in our Homeless Overnight Shelter in Bloomington In.were making money from one source or another. One guy got up every morning and ironed his clothes before he walked all the way across town to work 2 jobs. Our Shelter was a low boundries shelter, so the task was to correctly assess the state of intoxication prior to admission. The Church that sponsored the Shelter, and the community, expected that all of our people would be drug and alcohol users. In fact, only about 10% were chronically homeless due to a preference of drinking their money away. Our Churches have banded together to provide food and a mailing address and place to store their personal things and washers/dryers and a shower. It is hard for anyone to get a job with rotten teeth and smelling badly. So many would be helped by being covered by health care. In Bloomington it seems that an over looked problem is not mental illness, but low IQ that limits ability to keep a job and housing.

[Christine Schanes - Huffpost Blogger]

Pooka47401,

Thanks for your comment.

What an amazing life story you have! Thank you for sharing it.

And thank you for informing us about the Homeless Overnight Shelter in Bloomington, Inc. where you work.

May I ask some questions? What Church sponsors the shelter? What Churches are banding together to provide food, a mailing address and place to store personal things? How is the government involved, if at all? The city? the state? the federal government?

Are there any plans for transitional housing or permanent housing?

I'm asking because you seem to be working in a program that works!

I have worked for years to get dentists involved in helping homeless people. So far, no luck.
But, if you've had some luck in this regard, please let me know.

Also, if you have any suggestions of myths that you'd like to see me debunk, please let me know. I've got some coming up which may be quite controversial.

Please keep in touch,
Christine

[sunnybunny]

2. I now live in Arkansas.





3.& 4. Very complicated but relevant. To overly simplify:
After years of trying to get fresh start, I finally actually
did. Also, as I said before, sustainability being the key.





5. During all of the time I was homeless, I usually had a job (except for a couple of times when I got welfare to get "un-homeless"), and I NEVER went without bathing - even if I had to do it in a lake or river.

[Christine Schanes - Huffpost Blogger]

Sunnybunny,

Thanks for sharing so much of your story.

I can only say, "You are extraordinary!"

My best wishes to you. Please stay in touch,
Christine

[itolduso]

Domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness for women & their children. Many domestic violence victims work outside the home, but are fired or lose their jobs due to the actions of their abusers. Many who try to leave their abusers are forced into hiding because of threats to their lives, and to the lives of their children, family members, & friends - going back to their jobs can & does result in their murder. Often domestic violence victims have physical & mental health issues caused by the abuse, but many only have health insurance through their abuser's policies- when they leave the abuser - they lose that coverage, and health care costs can quickly lead to bankruptcy. This year, 4 million women will be abused in this country - many of them, along with their children, will end up homeless. It is our 'Silent Epidemic'.

[Christine Schanes - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi, itoldyouso,

Thanks for all the truth in your comment.

When you read the next myth that I hope to post soon, I hope you re-send this comment because It fits for that post also!

Many thanks for staying with the fight to clear up myths!

Please stay in touch,
Christine

[itolduso]

Hi Christine- another great post! I would just like to add... in my neighborhood (which is nice) there are 7 major grocery stores (2 are open 24/7) along with 3 major drug stores (both open 24/7) within 2 miles of my home, 2 grocery stores are within walking distance. This not only offers me a better & fresher selection of foods (at great prices due to competition) these shops offer a great number of both full time & part time job opportunities. But just 10 miles east (in a not as nice neighborhood) there is not one major grocery store within 3 miles in any direction. There are 2 or 3 'mini-marts' (only 4 employees on any shift) the prices are outrageously high, and the few pieces of 'fresh' fruits or vegetables are overpriced & nasty. People don't understand that when you find yourself in an area like that, it is almost impossible to 'work' your way out - there just are no opportunities available. Drive into these areas & the only shops are PayDay Loan shops, Pawn Shops, Car Lots, and MiniMarts . Public transportation is limited. And those people pay more for everything - the stores in those neighborhoods never fill the mailboxes with coupon flyers & special offers. Some will say "they should just move to my neighborhood" , the cheapest rent in my neighborhood is $750.00 per month....2 full-time minimum wage jobs wouldn't pay enough to cover the rent after taxes & s.s..

[Christine Schanes - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi, itoldyouso,

Thanks for your continuing comments!

There have been sociological studies which bear out exactly what you have witnessed. Thanks for sharing so many facts with us!!!

Please stay in touch,
Christine

[sunnybunny]

I have lived outside before. The rent costs is irrelevant if you are not paying rent. it is lot easier to live in a "nice" neighborhood than a less "nice" area if the resources you need aren't available where you are it is nohig to move down th road to a better location. The key is to stay out of sight. In better areas, homeless people who beg in parking lots or otherwise announce their presence are seldom tolerated.

[Christine Schanes - Huffpost Blogger]

Sunnybunny,

Thanks for your comment. Safety is an issue for everyone, housed and unhoused.

There are several questions that I would like to ask my readers who have experienced homelessness. Please feel free to answer them or not. No pressure, for sure.

1. In what city were you housed when you became homeless?

2. Are you still living in that city?

3. If so, why?

4. If not, why?

5. Any comments you would like to add?

Sunnybunny, it is time to dispel the myths that bind our thinking. I hope that the answers to these questions will shed some light.

Please stay in touch,
Christine

[HopalongHowie]

Christine thank you very much for stating what I have been trying to tell people for years starting when I was homeless in the late 80's and early 90's. My homeless state started as the result of a chronic condition with my legs that prevented me from being able to work.

Something else I do not think middle America thinks about from the comfort of their living rooms is the cost of housing in major metro areas like say Seattle (I pick on Seattle because they are making an effort) where even someone working two at or just above minimum wage jobs can afford to rent even a closet there; and Washington has the highest minimum wage in the country.

Seattle is unique though in that they have facilities where the homeless can get themselves and their clothes clean. I used to make use of the one at the Lutheran Compass Center in Pioneer Square were for a dollar I could have my clothes washed and get a shower for $1. Unfortunately it was a Monday through Friday kind of thing and surviving and being homeless was more a 24/7 occupation. So you had to sort of rough it during the weekends.

Once again thank you very much for the blog post and saying what I have felt like a man calling from the wilderness on to deaf ears about.

Howie

[Christine Schanes - Huffpost Blogger]

Howie,

Thank you for your comment.

I am very moved by your story.

I was concerned about the honesty of my post and how it would impact formally and currently homeless people. Thank you for calming my concerns. I know that it is good to speak, in this case, to write the truth, but I was concerned that I might be too blunt for those concerned.

How are you doing now?

Christine

[HopalongHowie]

I am housed and at 50 years old decided to go back to school. I'm currently working on a BA in Social Science with the ultimate goal being a MSW and working with people that are like I was with a chronic physical condition and homeless along with homeless families.

As far as I am concerned you can never be to blunt when it comes to homelessness, it is an ugly atrocity for it to even exist in a nation as rich as ours. I was involved in a number of direct actions in the early 90's most notably the first tent city done there where Safeco Field now stands in Seattle; so I have always been a sort of blunt in your face type of person when it comes to homelessness.

There was a documentary about that tent city called "Temporary Dwellings" if you can find a copy of it, it is well worth watching and as relevant today as in 1991 when it was released.

[leftcoastindy]

I can't get a job that would pay enough to rent a 1 bedroom apartment within 20 miles of my home area (my kids would have to sleep on the floor when they stay with me on the weekends). If my unemployment runs out, I'll be living on CC's.
I have 3 years of college and lots of business experience so any suggestion that anyone SHOULD be working is flat out silly.

[Christine Schanes - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi, leftcoastindy,

Thank you for your comment.

And thank you for sharing your story. Would you feel comfortable sharing a bit more? If not, thanks anyway.

If so, I have a few questions. In what city are you living in? Are you homeless now or worried about becoming homeless? When you refer to CCs, are you referring to "credit cards?"

Anything else you would like to share would be helpful to help educate all of us.

My thought is that education leads to understanding which leads to compassion, the goal.

Please stay in touch,
Christine

[sunnybunny]

Tell me about it. I drive 47 miles one way to work every day to make $10 hr + comm. and I count myself lucky. I hate the carbon footprint I am producing, but it' the best I can do.

[Christine Schanes - Huffpost Blogger]

Sunnybunny,

Thanks for your comment. You are quite a person!

I know how challenging your work regime can be. And, you can do it! You are doing it!

Congratulations, Sunnybunny!!!

As I write to you, I wish we could share with others how your life has developed. Would you interested in sharing more of your story?

Please keep in touch,
Christine