This month I have been focusing on employment and specifically on how simply "getting a job" when you’re experiencing homelessness is rarely as easy as it sounds. Today I want to talk about the meaning of a "living wage" and its profound connection to homelessness

Today, I’d like to tell you about one innovative solution to this problem that some companies are starting to explore and implement to create more equitable access to some kinds of jobs that don’t require specific training or experience: “Open Hiring.”

For the month of September, we turn our focus to an often misunderstood and overlooked aspect of homelessness: employment. The notion that all homeless folks need to do to get off the street or out of a shelter is just work hard and “get a job” and their problems will be solved is deeply ingrained in our society. Unfortunately, it’s rarely that simple.

As the seasons change, we at City Relief are shifting our focus to a pressing issue that connects directly to homelessness: employment. This month, we want to unravel the intricacies of how the current employment system inherently discriminates against unhoused people.

Today, I want to take a moment to discuss a topic that often remains unseen, yet significantly impacts those we serve at City Relief – the profound difficulty of securing employment when you're unhoused.