Louisvillians experiencing homelessness face a tough road to getting a job

Sabrina Evans has been homeless for three years. She said it was an uphill battle to get hired with a shelter address on her job applications and stereotypes around being homeless.

Eventually, she got a second-shift job, working from 2 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. That meant she wouldn’t make it to the shelter by check-in time, usually at 5 p.m. So she camped outside with a sleeping bag.

“I would scrub my clothes out, hang them up on tree branches, let them dry overnight. The next day, I'd do the whole thing all over again, like that was my life. That was my life,” she said.

Evans said she lost her job a year later due to health issues.

She’s now a volunteer with local advocacy nonprofit VOCAL-KY. She said many employers still do not hire people with shelter addresses. Some employers also assumed she was unhygienic or had an addiction, she said.

“I don't think they really understand that when you're homeless, you will go to the ends of the earth to survive. I would walk across countries to survive. So it's kind of unnecessary to put everybody in that block,” she said.

A new local ordinance could ease the burden of finding certain jobs for people experiencing homelessness.

The ordinance, sponsored by District 4 Independent Council Member Jecorey Arthur, lets people put down addresses of shelters on their job applications for Louisville Metro Government jobs and vendors contracted with the city. It also states that “no applicant shall be rejected solely on the basis of the individual's housing status."

If a vendor discriminates against a candidate based on housing status, the city can terminate their contract for noncompliance, according to the ordinance.

Evans said the new law is needed. She wants to see more employers be less judgmental and accommodate employees experiencing homelessness.

“And not to assume so much that because of the person being homeless, that they're going to come in disgusting or dirty or smelly or or not on time, to give people a chance to prove themselves,” she said.

Robin Harrod, the shelter manager at homeless outreach nonprofit St. John Center, said even if a person does get shelter space, they may have to choose between a place to stay and getting to work on time.

“If folks have to stay in overnight shelters, they have to be out of the shelter at a certain time, and then they have to check in at a certain time. And so that doesn't always complement work hours. So if you're working ‘til a second-shift job or a third-shift job, you will not have a shelter to stay in,” she said.

The day shelter at St. John Center has a mail room where people can receive and send mail. The center also provides a place to shower and offers resources for navigating housing. Harrod said transportation and not having a place to keep belongings continue to be barriers for her clients. Then there are the low wages, said Harrod.

“You're not going to live with $10 an hour. Even $14 an hour is not going to get you off the streets. That is not a livable wage whatsoever. So they're treading water constantly,” she said.

Under the statewide Safer Kentucky Act, which took effect in July this year , people can be cited or arrested for camping outside, and local police have already issued a few citations and arrested residents . That can create more problems, since having a criminal record can also impact job prospects.

There are some options for people experiencing homelessness that can help them maintain skills even if they’re not employed, such as volunteering.

In Louisville and Bowling Green, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky offers Another Way , a program to help people experiencing homelessness, through which it transports workers to job sites for five hours. In return, they earn $50 and lunch and are transported back to Goodwill’s Opportunity Center, which provides resources and a hub for job training opportunities.

Sabrina Evans said she’s determined to rise above her circumstances. She emphasized that, with the rising cost of living, there are people from all walks of life experiencing homelessness. She said it’s important to have a heart for them.

“And I just, I feel like sometimes the city doesn't see it that way. And you know, they make these laws for rich people or the people that don't really need help, and it just makes things harder on those who are poverty stricken,” she said.

Local shelters that offer mail services:

UP for Women and Children Day shelter
425 South 2nd Street, Suite 100, Louisville KY 40202

St. John Center
700 E. Muhammad Ali Blvd., Louisville KY 40202