Get a job, ya bum!

It makes me cringe when someone is talking about homelessness and they say "Well, they just need to get jobs." Uh...what?

If you know even the tiniest bit about homelessness, you know it's not just that simple. For one, in this economy, even people with PhD's can't get jobs! But even in a good economy, telling a homeless person to get a job is not the solution.

Now, let me preface this by saying...I know there are people out there who "act" or "play" like they are homeless when they really aren't. I know there are people out there who take advantage of people by telling them they are homeless.There are even some people out there who LIKE to be homeless, believe it or not. They prefer to be off the grid, for one reason or another. Maybe they have no family, or maybe that family is who they are hiding from. But I'd say the majority of people who say they are homeless...are homeless.

You know what the fastest growing homeless population is? Kids. These are tough times - parents are losing jobs, foreclosing on homes and running out of unemployment benefits. Families are living in shelters or living with relatives who can't really accommodate them. There are kids living in cars or on the streets. My fear is that these kids will remain homeless past the age of 18 and add to the growing number of homeless individuals. And think about it: if homelessness is what you know, how would you know to get out of it? Sure, there will be those really determined people who want the rags to riches story. They will seek the resources and get themselves out. But the majority aren't going to be motivated or know how to do this. If they are homeless, more than likely, education is not top priority.

I wrote a paper last year (with a group of girls) about homelessness in teens. What you have are young adults who are trying to survive. So, what do they do? Prostitute. Drug deliveries. Hang with the wrong people. Pregnancy. STDs/HIV. There are so many issues that deal with this population in particular....it's scary. Do you think that finding a job is on their mind? No. Survival is.

So what about the "old" guys? The guys you see on the street that have been on the street for a while. You wanna tell them to get a job? Ok...let's see. They may be illiterate. Do you think they have access to nice clothes for an interview? What about a shower? Resume paper? Do you think they have computer skills to make a resume? Do you think they even have skills to put on their resume? What if they have (and a lot do) mental health issues? Health issues?  If I was homeless and had to do all this to get a job...I'd feel overwhelmed...wouldn't you?

Also...you know the women who you may think are lazy and don't want to work? They have 3 kids and "live off the government?" They may work part time. But let me tell you something: these women don't have a choice but to stay where they are. Sure, the government is paying their childcare while they work their part-time minimum wage job. But what's going to motivate them to get a better job? If they earn a dollar more per week , they lose their benefits. If they lose their benefits...they don't have childcare. They don't have food stamps. They have no support system in their life to help them while they try to get better.

And again...yes there are people who take advantage of the system. I'm very aware of this. But the majority of people who get help...really need it. And then then they are stigmatized by the people who do take advantage.

So...before you mutter the words "they should just get a job" just take a minute to think. This isn't a people problem - but a system problem. The system is set up in a way to make people dependent. There need to be systemic changes. I don't have the answers - I have some ideas. But...until the system changes and keeps people dependent on assistance, people who need the help...need the help. Don't stigmatize someone or think they are lazy.

PSA. :)