Because of this, we have seen an unprecedented incidence of chronic unemployment and underemployment. Transportation has also become a barrier to employment because low-income workers have limited resources to get to those higher paying entry-level positions in the suburbs where the job growth is most rapid. For individuals with children, childcare is another obstacle. Only 10% of the families who qualify for federal childcare receive assistance. An average American family pays 7% of income to childcare, as opposed to the 25% paid by low-income families. (Molloy 55-58).
Further complicating the problem of low wages and job opportunities is the lack of affordable housing. It is nearly impossible to get a job without having a permanent residence, address, and phone number. Getting a permanent address requires steady income; usually from a job. In 1997, the U.S. Conference of Mayors conducted a study of the status of hunger and homelessness. They found that housing applicants wait an average of 19 months to receive assistance, and applicants for Section 8 housing programs was so long the cities stopped accepting applications. (Burleson 63-67).
On any given night, it is estimated at least 600,000 people are homeless. Of those, approximately 200,000 are mentally ill. They are among the poorest people in our nation, earning or receiving in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and other benefits an average annual .
3.
income of $4,200. Most would like to work, but this population faces the highest barriers to employment. One half of the mentally ill suffer from drug and alcohol abuse, and many use these substances as a means of self-medication. Approximately 4% to 14% of adults in homeless shelters have been in a mental hospital. They are the most susceptible to violent crimes. However, many mentally ill homeless also encounter the criminal justice system as offenders, arrested for trespassing, petty theft, shoplifting and prostitution.
