Employment Programs That Actually Work for Homeless Men

Why Employment Matters

Employment is not just about money, though money matters. For men especially, work provides:

• • Identity: Men often define themselves by their work. Unemployment is not just an economic problem but an identity crisis.
• • Structure: The routine of work creates stability that supports recovery and mental health.
• • Social connection: Workplaces provide community and relationships outside of homeless services.
• • Purpose: Contributing something meaningful counters the despair of homelessness.
• • Independence: Earning income reduces dependency on services and family.

Research consistently shows that employment is one of the strongest predictors of sustained housing stability. People who exit homelessness into employment are significantly less likely to return to the streets than those who exit without income.

The Barriers to Employment

Before examining what works, we need to understand what homeless job seekers face:

Practical Barriers

• • No address: Applications require addresses. Employers may reject shelter addresses.
• • No phone: How do employers call for interviews?
• • No ID: Many homeless people lack current identification.
• • No transportation: Getting to interviews and work is difficult without a car or money for transit.
• • No interview clothes: Showing up disheveled guarantees rejection.
• • No work history documentation: References from 5-10 years ago may be impossible to verify.

Background Barriers

• • Criminal records: Background checks eliminate many applicants immediately.
• • Employment gaps: Years of homelessness create unexplainable resume gaps.
• • Poor credit: Some employers check credit history.
• • Lost credentials: Professional licenses may have lapsed or been revoked.

Personal Barriers

• • Mental health: Depression, anxiety, and PTSD affect interview performance and job retention.
• • Substance use: Active addiction makes reliable attendance difficult.
• • Physical health: Untreated conditions limit what work is possible.
• • Outdated skills: Technology and industries change during years of homelessness.
• • Demoralization: Repeated rejection destroys confidence and motivation.

What Does Not Work

Before examining effective approaches, let us be clear about what fails:

• • Resume workshops alone: A polished resume means nothing if you cannot pass a background check or show up clean.
• • Job fairs: Crowded events where employers collect resumes they will never read do not produce results for homeless job seekers.
• • Training without placement: Certificates from programs that do not lead to actual jobs waste everyone's time.
• • One-size-fits-all: A man with an engineering degree needs different support than a man who has never held a job.
• • Employment before stability: Placing someone in a job before addressing housing, mental health, and addiction usually fails quickly.

Evidence-Based Approaches That Work

Individual Placement and Support (IPS)

Originally developed for people with serious mental illness, IPS has the strongest evidence base for homeless employment:

• • Employment services are integrated with mental health and housing services
• • Focus on rapid placement into competitive employment, not sheltered workshops
• • Job development based on individual preferences and strengths
• • Ongoing support after placement to prevent job loss
• • Zero exclusion: anyone who wants to work receives services

Studies show IPS produces employment rates 2-3 times higher than traditional vocational services.

Transitional Employment

Some programs provide temporary, subsidized jobs as a bridge to permanent employment:

• • Real work in real settings, often with partner employers
• • Builds current work history and references
• • Develops or restores work habits and soft skills
• • Provides income while building toward permanent placement
• • Staff support addresses problems before they cause job loss

Social Enterprise

Some organizations operate businesses specifically to employ homeless individuals:

• • Common models include moving companies, landscaping, food service, manufacturing
• • Employers designed around the needs of homeless workers (flexible scheduling, understanding supervision)
• • Real market wages for real work
• • Path to permanent employment with the enterprise or other employers

Sector-Based Training

Training programs work best when tied to specific industries with actual job openings:

• • Partnership with employers who have committed to hiring graduates
• • Training for specific roles with real demand (warehouse, construction, food service, healthcare support)
• • Industry-recognized credentials
• • Direct job placement upon completion

Key Elements of Effective Programs

Regardless of specific model, effective employment programs share common features:

Address Practical Barriers First

• • Help obtain identification
• • Provide phone access or phones
• • Supply work clothes and interview attire
• • Arrange transportation or provide transit passes
• • Use program address for applications when needed

Partner with Employers

• • Build relationships with employers who will hire program participants
• • Help employers understand the value proposition (motivated workers, program support)
• • Provide ongoing support that reduces employer risk
• • Match participants to appropriate opportunities

Continue Support After Placement

• • Regular check-ins to identify problems early
• • Mediate workplace conflicts before they escalate
• • Help navigate challenges (schedule changes, transportation issues)
• • Celebrate successes and milestones

Integrate with Other Services

• • Coordinate with housing services
• • Link with mental health and substance use treatment
• • Address legal issues that create barriers
• • Connect with benefits programs during transition

Our Approach at The Steady Ground

Employment is a core component of our program, not an afterthought. Our approach includes:

• • Comprehensive assessment: The Stronghold Assessment identifies each man's skills, barriers, and employment goals
• • Practical barrier removal: ID, phone, transportation, and work clothes are addressed immediately
• • Individualized planning: Employment services match each man's background and aspirations
• • Employer partnerships: We work with employers who value our participants
• • Integrated services: Employment is coordinated with housing, mental health, and recovery support
• • Ongoing support: We stay engaged after job placement to ensure retention
• • Career development: Not just any job, but a path to sustainable income and advancement

We believe every man has something to contribute. Our job is to help them discover and develop their potential.