While an estimated 25 percent of the homeless population in the United States is employed, factors such as salaries and high housing costs hinder the ability to afford housing. On top of that, it's estimated that between 40 and 60 percent get in and out of jobs for a variety of reasons. Homeless people across the country are excluded from the workforce when the prospective employer finds their address or the lack of it. Remember that the employee, Yeweinishet Mesfin, who spent seven of the 10 years she worked at Disneyland living in her car, never told anyone out of embarrassment.
Family and friends only discovered it when the 61-year-old woman was found dead in her “house”. Approximately one third to half of the homeless population is employed. Despite having a job, people can still lose their homes or be unable to afford housing. The gap between the richest and the poorest people in the United States is greater than in any other country in the world.
A widespread misconception about the homeless population is that they prefer to stay on the street rather than find a job. People who stay in a shelter or on the streets for a short period of time due to a catastrophic event are the most common type of homeless person in the United States. On the other hand, it is one of the most serious crises in the United States of America, leading to unemployment and homelessness. Homelessness is a complicated phenomenon and requires extensive community participation to end it.
They have a criminal record as a result of homelessness (and sometimes their only crime was not having a place to sleep). However, the perception that all homeless people are drug addicted offenders is arguably a greater barrier to their employment than actual drug addiction. Having been there and working with many other people in the same situation, I must say that for the vast majority of homeless people, the assumption that they are lazy is totally wrong. Being homeless in a city with a low homeless population is easier than being homeless in a city with a large number of homeless people.
Above all, there should be enough emergency shelters for the growing number of homeless people who can provide food, shelter, medical assistance, safety, rehabilitation treatments and work assistance. During the current economic situation, and with so many people homeless due to foreclosures, in some cities more than half of the homeless population has jobs. Most people think this is the main reason why homeless people can't get jobs, and it may be true for many chronically homeless people. Listen to their stories, ask them questions, and show some empathy with people who have lost their homes.
For example, spend some time serving food and providing free tutoring to needy homeless children.
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