By: Casey Mosbacher, SCS Intern
It’s a phrase often muttered with malice, laced with judgment. But what’s rarely considered are the very real barriers that stand between someone experiencing homelessness and stable employment.
Let’s begin by acknowledging this: homelessness is not a singular experience. It’s not one path, one cause, or one outcome. It can affect people from all walks of life and varies widely in severity. One person may be living unsheltered, without a phone or ID, yet holding a college degree. Another may have recently lost their job, priced out of rising rent, and now couch-surfing while searching for another service industry position. Context matters. You cannot build a full story from a single snapshot.
In a city like San Diego, the challenges are compounded. Housing prices and the cost of living continue to rise, but the job market hasn’t expanded at the same pace. Entry-level roles are shrinking, AI is replacing certain positions, and competition is fiercer than ever. For many, simply finding a job is a challenge, but for the unhoused, the barriers are even greater.
Physical barriers to employment include the logistical and material challenges of getting and keeping a job. The lack of a permanent address, for instance, can be an immediate flag to employers, both for background checks and basic correspondence. Without stable housing, important documents like IDs, birth certificates, or Social Security cards are often lost, stolen, or damaged, and replacing them requires time, money, and access many do not have. Additionally, a permanent address is usually necessary when acquiring new forms of identification. Access to technology is another major issue. Most of us take our phones and internet access for granted. But for someone living on the streets, charging a phone, keeping it safe, or maintaining consistent service is a major hurdle, assuming they have a phone. And yet, phones are essential for job alerts, communication, maps, alarms, and email confirmations. Without these tools, even getting to the interview stage becomes a struggle. Some of the resources at Shoreline help to bridge this barrier, by providing phone charging and through a partnership with Truconnect to connect guests with free government phones and phone plans.
Stable employment also requires a level of physical and mental health many people experiencing homelessness don’t have the luxury of maintaining. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), around 30% of unhoused individuals live with serious mental health conditions. Trauma, substance use, chronic stress, and unsafe living conditions all contribute to the instability that makes it nearly impossible to hold down a traditional nine to five job. Beyond mental health, there are real physical consequences to homelessness. Living outdoors or in overcrowded shelters increases exposure to illness, infections, injury, and chronic fatigue. Most are unable to access regular health care, which further deteriorates their general well-being.
Perhaps the most prominent barrier is stigma. Negative stereotypes about the unhoused, that they are lazy, unclean, addicted, or untrustworthy directly impact hiring decisions. These assumptions lead employers to reject candidates before they’re even given a chance. Even when someone experiencing homelessness gets hired, they may face ongoing discrimination and isolation from coworkers and management.
Again, it’s important to remember: these barriers exist on top of the challenges everyone else is already facing. With entry-level jobs decreasing and cost of living rising, even those with stable housing and full access to resources are struggling to secure employment. So how can we expect someone to “just get a job” when they’re navigating a minefield of systemic, physical, and psychological challenges?
And even among the employed unhoused population, barriers persist. Many are working while still experiencing homelessness, facing daily obstacles like sleep deprivation and food insecurity. Lack of sleep impairs focus and cognitive function. Poor nutrition lowers energy, productivity, and immune response. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, approximately 25-40% of the homeless population is employed at any given time. These are not minor inconveniences, they are deeply human needs, essential to functioning, let alone thriving in a demanding work environment. Additionally staying presentable is vital to keeping a good reputation and holding respect in the workplace, access to showers or laundering inhibits this. Caretaking is also difficult for people who are employed without a consistent place to stay or systems in place to watch children or pets. The barriers discussed above all exhibit the cyclical nature of being unhoused or struggling financially. The job market, stigmas, mental toll, and physical blocks all pile upon one another to create a hostile job environment. It is vital to consider these factors when addressing or passing by an individual who is unhoused.
Here at Shoreline Community Services, we work every day to bridge the gap between being unhoused and finding work from mediating barriers to job assistance. We provide access to showers, laundry, and clean clothing to optimize neat appearance both for hygiene and employment. Every week, we have volunteers who assist with job applications, resumes, and cover letters. We also provide information and connections to job training programs, which is ideal for guests with little to no prior work experience or credentials. These training sessions help participants gain valuable experience and bolster their resumes. Examples include construction training, bus driving certification, culinary school, and more. In addition, Shoreline runs a program called the Community Care Crew (CCC), an employment social enterprise initiative for unhoused individuals that includes paid work, case management, career counseling, and access to temporary workforce housing. Our CCC team has contracts with local businesses, organizations, and faith communities, to provide street cleaning, power washing, custodial services and more. Through programs and services like these, we are doing more than just finding jobs, we are helping build confidence, stability, and opportunities.
References
Beaulieu, P. (2025, March 18). Breaking Barriers: The challenges homeless individuals face in employment. Harford Family House. https://harfordfamilyhouse.org/breaking-barriers-the-challenges-homeless-individuals-face-in-employment/
Flater, A. (2023, June 27). Why don’t homeless people “Just get a job”? – the upper room mission. The Upper Room Mission. https://upperroommission.ca/why-dont-homeless-people-just-get-a-job/#:~:text=Homeless%20people%20face%20many%20barriers%20when%20trying,of%20computer%20access%20*%20Low%20computer%20literacy
Harry. (2025, March 11). Breaking the Cycle: Employment challenges for individuals experiencing homelessness. Nest Community Shelter. https://nestcommunityshelter.org/breaking-the-cycle-employment-challenges-for-individuals-experiencing-homelessness/#:~:text=Practical%20Barriers%20to%20Employment,difficult%20to%20break%20without%20assistance
Tiderington, E., Henwood, B. F., Padgett, D. K., & Smith, B. T. (2019). Employment experiences of formerly homeless adults with serious mental illness in Housing First versus treatment first supportive housing programs. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 43(3), 253–260. https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000391