Why Don't They Just Get a Job?

I'm sure you've heard people say this before when referring to those who are homeless. Some people think that the issue of homelessness in Winnipeg has an easy solution; if people would simply try harder everything would be fine for them. They just need to put more effort into life. They're just lazy.

Siloam Mission's Emergency Shelter has 115 beds and we're full most nights. Did you know that about 30% of our shelter patrons get up between 4am and 6am to hit the streets to find a job? So that means that on any given morning (including Saturdays, Sundays and many holidays) at Siloam Mission about 34 people are waking up long before I am and are heading out into the cold to go get a job for the day.

I'm predicting two questions will be floating around in your head right about now. "If they are working, why are they spending their nights at Siloam Mission?" is likely your first question and "so what about the other 70% of shelter patrons?" is probably the second.

Well, as for the first question, the simple answer has to do with the type of work people are able to find. In Canada we have Temporary Work Placement Agencies. People can head over to these agencies and can get a job for the day. If they are lucky they may get a job that will be steady for a period of time, but often it ends up being a few days, or maybe even just a day. Sometimes they head over there and there is nothing for them at all and they are told to try again the next day. This is the type of work available to many individuals who are experiencing homelessness. The pay is unsteady, benefits are unlikely and the work is unreliable.

Now, as for the second question, there are many reasons that someone may not be working. Here's a list of possible contributing factors. Chew on this for a while…

Physical Illness
Mental Illness
Physical Disability
Mental Disability
Old Age
Stereotyping
Discrimination
Language Barriers
Abuse
Drug and Alcohol Use
Criminal Record
Gang Involvement
Lack of Education
Lack of Skills
Lack of Self - Confidence
No Address
No Phone Number
No Identification
Personal Hygiene
Cyclical Poverty

Why then don’t they just get a job? With all this in mind, how can people even still ask that question?

Sarah Enns
Community Education Coordinator and sj101 Coordinator