When I talk about the unhoused with people a common question is “why don’t they get a job.”
Actually 45% of those experiencing homelessness have at least one job (Check out the book “When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness in America”).
But the high cost of housing in CO Springs is a huge hurdle for those who can’t afford an average studio apartment at $1,131/mo. Finding a job that pays enough to secure housing is not easy!
A 48-year-old male I know rents a room for $700/month from a male who is mentally unstable. This renter has been unemployed for over two years and the only income he has is from an inheritance from his father, which will soon be gone. He has applied for Social Security Disability because his physical health has been deteriorating and he has significant health challenges. In the last two years, he has applied and been rejected from over 50 jobs. Even with the help of Vocational Rehabilitation he has not even had an interview. This is a bright man who can work and pay for his own housing, but no one even gives him an interview. Why??? How is he causing his own financial insecurity?
He is one of the “lucky” ones because he has a room for now, but he needs a job now and is desperately trying to get one.
It isn’t that easy to just get a job!
I look forward to the day that someone soon gives this man a chance to work and provide for his housing needs.
Challenge: Think about this story when you look at an unhoused person and wonder “Why don’t they get a job” and maybe stop and get to hear this person’s story.
Barb Parnell
