“Why Don’t They Just Get a Job?” A Breakdown of a Common Myth

Author: Abdel Elkasaby

People often ask why people experiencing homelessness don’t “just get a job,” as if employment alone is a quick path back to stability. But in reality, most people living without housing want to work. What stands in their way are barriers most housed people never think about.

One of the biggest obstacles is simply getting to work. Many unhoused people lose access to reliable transportation after losing housing, which makes job interviews or early-morning shifts difficult or impossible. Urban Institute researchers note that lack of transit, phone access, and consistent communication are some of the most common reasons people can’t secure or maintain work (Urban Institute, 2025).

Another major barrier is documentation. Without stable housing, IDs, Social Security cards, and important paperwork are easily lost or stolen. But employers require them. No ID means no application, no paycheck, no job. The Oregon Statewide Homelessness Study found that missing documentation is one of the top administrative barriers keeping Oregonians trapped in the cycle of homelessness (Oregon Housing & Community Services, 2023).

Even when someone does manage to get hired, wages often aren’t enough to escape homelessness. In Oregon, the cost of rent has grown far faster than wages, meaning full-time work still doesn’t guarantee housing security. Many people working minimum-wage or service jobs simply cannot afford Portland’s rental market (OHCS, 2023). Employment alone doesn’t fix the gap between income and housing costs.

Daily survival also makes holding a job harder. Without a safe place to store belongings, keep clothes clean, or sleep consistently, staying presentable and on time becomes a full-time challenge. OPB reporting has documented Portland residents walking miles each day between shelters, services, and temporary sleeping locations—leaving them exhausted before they ever clock in (Oregon Public Broadcasting, 2025).

The truth is simple: people aren’t homeless because they’re unwilling to work. They’re homeless because the system around them makes survival unstable and employment unreliable. If we want people to succeed at work, we need to remove the barriers that make work impossible—transportation, documentation support, stable housing, and realistic wages. Until then, “just get a job” will continue to misunderstand both the problem and the people living through it.

References

Oregon Housing & Community Services. (2023). Statewide Homelessness Study. https://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/homelessness

Oregon Public Broadcasting. (2025, Oct 1). Behind the doors of Portland’s plan to end unsheltered homelessness. https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/01/portland-overnight-shelter-homelessness-crisis-women/

Urban Institute. (2025). Three Facts Communities Should Know About Unsheltered Homelessness and the Joint Transitional Housing/Rapid Re-Housing Model. https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/three-facts-communities-should-know-about-unsheltered-homelessness-and-joint