UNEMPLOYMENT & THE WELFARE REFORM DEBATE
Unemployment is a major component of chronic homelessness and poverty. More than 88% of the homeless population and more than 90% of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients are unemployed. (1)
Moving people from welfare to work is one of the major goals of the federal government's current efforts to reform America's welfare system. One of the leading proponents of the House welfare bill, Representative E. Clay Shaw, Jr., recently said, "What we're looking for is an attitudinal change across the entire country...The idea is to make welfare not a way of life, but simply a short-term bridge over tough times."
The focus of welfare reform is to force people to "earn a paycheck, not a welfare check." Work requirements and time limits would promote responsibility, self-sufficiency, and help break the cycle of dependency on government aid.
In March, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4, a bill that requires welfare recipients to work within two years of receiving benefits and denies welfare checks after five years. This provision has wide support from both the Senate and President Clinton. (At this writing, the Senate is scheduled to consider this issue further in September, just days before you travel to Washington, DC.)
However, moving the homeless and welfare recipients into the work force depends on elements that cannot be legislated. Laws Congress writes may spur some people to work, but their jobs might be temporary and the pay insufficient to move them out of poverty or off welfare. For others -- especially those who lack skills, job experience, education, and religious faith -- the task is more challenging.
Government may mandate that welfare recipients work, but it cannot mandate businesses hire under-skilled and undereducated homeless and poor people. Fundamental to curing chronic homelessness and poverty is creating opportunities for employment, education, and job training. The very core of rescue mission rehabilitation, however, lies in the discipline, self-esteem and sense of purpose developed through a strong spiritual foundation.
Job Seeker's Roadblocks: What Does it Take?
Mark, a homeless man, said:
"I'd like to get a job, but how? When you're in the street, you've got one set of clothes, two if you're lucky, and they're always dirty. No place to shave, shower, clean up. And any job that's decent will ask for an address, phone number, a driver's license. It's hard to break out of the cycle."
The "back-to-work" process is a major difficulty facing the homeless and the poor. They lack the tools needed to make the transition to employment possible. These tools range from the very basic (proper work attire, transportation, a work-ready attitude, child care) to more critical necessities (skills that are essential to compete in today's job market, education, and mental and emotional support.) These tools are generally taken for granted, but for the homeless and the poor, they are major barriers to employment.
The Basics
For those who have been out of the job market for an extended period of time, fundamental job skills wither. The Washington Post recently reported, "The gap between job applicant and the working world can be as simple as not having the appropriate clothes for the office, as common as being chronically late to work or as profound as failing to understand some of the unwritten rules of office etiquette." (2)
Job Opportunities
Labor market trends indicate that the number of jobs for low-skilled workers is rapidly decreasing. Jobs for low-skilled workers are projected to drop 13% by the end of the decade. Workers without skills and education will be increasingly trapped in low-paying jobs without much chance of advancement. (3)
Self-Esteem
Perhaps the least tangible of all barriers are the mental obstacles the homeless and poor face when seeking employment. Fear and low self-esteem play a significant role in the "back-to-work" process. Indeed, social scientists say that these two factors are facts of life, and a major roadblock for people who have never had a job and even for those who have been out of work only a year or two.
What IUGM Missions are Doing
For more than 80 years, IUGM missions have served as agencies of last resort for those men, women and children who have fallen through every safety net. IUGM missions are on the first line of defense and provide food, shelter and clothing to the homeless and destitute. Beyond meeting these basic human needs, IUGM missions provide solutions to chronic homelessness and poverty by teaching job seekers qualities employers value most and offering opportunities that break the barriers to employment.
In addition to work therapy programs that teach discipline, respect for authority and responsibility, IUGM missions provide job training and education programs. Courses include computer training, GED preparation, and core education courses such as reading, writing and math. Other programs include: job placement and counseling, employment-readiness programs, and child care for working single mothers and families. These programs are offered in conjunction with spiritual rehabilitation to fully address the needs of each individual.
In 1994, IUGM missions provided:
By offering job training and education within the facilities, IUGM missions serve the very population which desperately needs the most help. IUGM missions understand the needs of, and are equipped with resources to help, the homeless and the poor to gain successful employment.
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(1) U.S. Conference of Mayors Report on Homelessness, 1993
(2) The Washington Post, "For Job Seekers, a Fear of Trying," March 6, 1995
(3) Shredding the Safety net: The Contract With America's Impact on Poor and
Homeless People (National Coalition for the Homeless, February 1992)
(4) The Washington Post, "For Job Seekers, a Fear of Trying," March 6, 1995
© Copyright Russ Reid Company September 18, 1995
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