Homeless service providers, the people answering emergency calls for shelter and helping unhoused residents find homes, are themselves suffering.
A recent survey addresses the financial and emotional hardships of the career. It was conducted by the Housing Innovation Lab, a branch of the housing advocacy group, the Housing Collective.
In Connecticut, homeless service workers are underpaid and understaffed, according to Interim Director of the Housing Innovation Lab, Ana Rincon.
“Our staff is struggling financially,” Rincon said. “They're experiencing material hardship, and this shows in different ways, right? So they are experiencing food insecurity. They are having their utilities shut off. They are delaying medical care, or they are even experiencing housing instability themselves.”
The workforce is dedicated, with nearly 80% of respondents saying they feel their work is worthwhile. But, more than 60% said they’ve considered leaving their job in the last year, according to the report.
More than 300 homeless service providers from across the state responded to the survey, Rincon said.
Financial uncertainty impacts about 70% of the workers who participated in the study. They fall below the Area Median Income (AMI), the federal poverty line or United Way’s Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) threshold.
The struggles extend beyond financial constraints, Rincon said.
“The workers also said that there is a high level of stress, that there are not clear opportunities for advancement, and that they have difficulty accessing training, either because of funding or because of time to be able to do the work they do,” Rincon said.
The solution largely revolves around an increase in funding, for salaries and additional staff, according to the report.
Rincon said the timing of the report’s release was strategic.
“We tried to get this report out during the legislative session, because we believe it's an important call for legislators when we are thinking overall about funding the homeless response system.”
Other recommended ways to ease the burden on workers include creating affordable workforce housing and adding other employee financial assistance programs.
Strengthening the workforce is critical to tackling Connecticut’s homelessness crisis, according to Housing Collective Chief Executive Officer David Rich.
“Frontline staff play a critical role in helping individuals and families move from crisis to stability,” Rich said. “Too many of the people working to prevent and end homelessness are struggling to make ends meet themselves.”
