A new secret in California: Working while homeless
Often one of the first steps to helping people out of homelessness is getting them a steady job.
But what about the thousands of homeless Californians who already are working?
Pinning down exactly how many Californians are working while homeless is not easy. Many try to hide it. And it’s certainly true that most people without a place to live are out of work.
But recent estimates suggest it’s not uncommon for homeless Californians to hold down jobs.
A 2017 survey of the homeless in San Francisco found 13 percent of respondents reporting part- or full-time employment. That’s in a city with an estimated 7,499 people experiencing homelessness
This year, an estimated 10 percent of the 4,990 people living unsheltered in San Diego said they were working.
Los Angeles County has more than 50,000 homeless residents. Eight percent of homeless adults in the 2017 survey said they were working to some degree, mostly in part-time, seasonal or temporary work. Among homeless adults with children, 27 percent said they were working either part or full time.
That includes parents such as Nereida, a single mother of two young daughters who works full time at a Los Angeles optometrist’s office.
“I do pre-testing,” said Nereida, who asked that her last name not be used in this story. “I take measurements of (patients’) eyes. After that, the doctor sees them.”
Six days a week, she finishes her shift with a few appointment reminder calls, then turns off the display lights in the eyeglass cases.
She sets the alarm, locks the doors and walks out to her car.
And some weeks, she hasn’t had a place to go home to.
“There’s been several times where I just slept in my car,” she said. “I parked close to the gym, because that’s where I get ready in the mornings.”
Nereida moved to the Los Angeles area almost a year ago. She’s been able to rent rooms for a few months here and there. Lately, she’s been staying with a friend. Someone has always been willing to let her kids spend the night. But she never thought finding a place of her own would be this hard.
She admits her credit score is bad. And between car payments, gas and day care costs, Nereida hasn’t been able to save for a deposit plus first and last month’s rent.
At $17 an hour, she earns more than minimum wage. But even if she did manage to find an apartment, the city’s median rent for a two-bedroom unit — estimated at $1,752 by listings website Apartment List — would claim more than half of her income.
“You have to really focus on work when you’re at work and try to put on a face that everything’s OK,” Nereida said. “Once you’re done, you break down, because you don’t have a Nereida, a single mom of two, works full time at a Los Angeles optometrist’s office but sleeps in her car or stays with a friend. place to go.” Poverty, said, “There are the bill’s language with being able
Nereida has not told her no laws in California that was changed. And then it to solve everything with boss that she doesn’t have protect you from being discriminated died in committee. money,” said Kim Wyard, a stable place to live. She against based Bartholow looks at California’s chief executive of the said she would be embarrassed. on your housing status.” housing crisis today Northeast Valley Health And she wonders if Bartholow was one of and wonders why legislators Corporation. “We’re not a she would be treated differently. the advocates pushing have not reconsidered food bank. And we’re not for a 2012 California bill it. a housing organization.
“I don’t want him to that would have banned, “If we know that income But we can certainly help have a different view of me among other things, discrimination is one of the best ways out make those connections.” and to think that (it) is going against homeless of poverty, why wouldn’t it Wyard’s organization to affect my work life,” employees. Had it be a best policy practice to provides health services to she said. passed, California would make sure that people who people who are low income
Workers have protections have joined Rhode Island are homeless and working or homeless. She said that on the job when it in defining homelessness are not at risk of losing if employers already are comes to factors such as as a protected class in the their jobs or having reduced connected with Los Angeles’ race and gender. But Jessica workplace. hours?” she asked. homeless support system, Bartholow, a policy Under opposition from Some employers do it’s a huge help in the advocate with the Western groups such as the California want to help. rare cases when an employee Center on Law and Chamber of Commerce, “We don’t have the solution falls into homelessness. Her advice to other employers is to know whom to call for help.
“I think that it may take a little bit of digging to put a homeless resource list together for your staff,” she said. “But those resources are there.”
Of course, for that approach to work, workers would need to feel comfortable telling their bosses about their situation.
Nereida said her employer treats her well and pays her fairly.
She said that when she looks for housing assistance, she feels people’s image of homelessness works against her. She describes herself as a soccer mom, and she looks the part.
“I’ve gotten comments like, ‘Sorry, but if I looked at you, I wouldn’t assume that you’re homeless,’ ” Nereida said. “Do I have to have ripped clothes? Dirty clothes? I have a job. So I can’t come to work unpresentable or unprofessional.”
Nereida is not sure how long she’ll be able to stay at a friend’s place. Her biggest fear is that she’ll end up back in her car. But this time, with her kids in the back seat. This report is part of the California Dream series, a statewide media collaboration of CALmatters, KPBS, KPCC, KQED and Capital Public Radio with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the James Irvine Foundation.