The Impact of Homelessness on Career Transitions: A Research Report

This report delves into the intricate relationship between homelessness and employment, investigating the significant barriers homeless individuals encounter when seeking and maintaining jobs. The research analyzes the impact of homelessness on career transitions, highlighting the challenges of finding and keeping work. It examines factors like mental health issues, lack of vocational training, and societal prejudices as impediments to employment. The report focuses on the situation in Malta, exploring policy implications and potential solutions, such as supported employment programs and Housing First initiatives. It discusses the importance of addressing both individual and systemic issues to improve employment outcomes for the homeless population, considering the impact of unobserved factors on employment and the need for comprehensive support. The report emphasizes the importance of stable work, decent wages, and integrated support systems for successful reintegration into the workforce and preventing homelessness.

Running Heads:

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Table of Contents
ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................3
CHAPTER # 1 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................5
Background......................................................................................................................................5
Research problem............................................................................................................................6
Research questions:.........................................................................................................................7
Aims And objectives........................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

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ABSTRACT
This research analyses the impact that being homeless has on career transitions in order to
shed light on the connection between being homeless and having a difficult time finding and
maintaining work. According to the findings of this study, low employment rates among the
homeless may be solely attributable to the fact that they have a greater propensity to abandon
their occupations. When it comes to volume and intensity, earlier beliefs about the detrimental
relationship between homelessness and employment were dramatically off base. The findings of
this study challenge the hypothesis that those without homes have a higher incidence of
unemployment because they are unable to find work. This hypothesis is generally accepted
within the academic community. There is a strong correlation between being homeless and the
possibility of losing one's job, and this correlation appears to be primarily driven by unobserved
person-specific characteristics that increase the likelihood of both being homeless and losing
one's job.
The strength of the correlation varies from person to person. After taking into
consideration the impacts of these unobserved factors that might obfuscate results, it was shown
that homelessness in and of itself does not have a substantial impact on work entrance or leave.
Adults who are mentally ill and who live on the streets face a variety of obstacles while
attempting to find and keep a job. However, although Housing First programmes do provide this
group rapid and easy access to housing as well as support services, there has been a lack of
consistency on the usefulness of these projects in improving job results. By reducing obstacles to
work for people living on the streets who are mentally ill, supported employment interventions
may help Housing First programmes become more effective. Even after gaining stable housing,
individuals continued to struggle to find work due to issues such as
(1) concerns about exposing sensitive information,
(2) inconsistent motivation,
(3) ongoing drug use, and
(4) anxieties of experiencing homelessness-related trauma.
Despite this, participants who took part in the research claimed that their interpersonal
skills and their ability to bounce back from adversity had both increased as a direct consequence
of being homeless. Experts in the field of employment may be of assistance to those on the verge

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of homelessness by listening to their problems and collaborating with them to come up with
potential solutions. Nevertheless, they have a responsibility to be aware that their customers
could be struggling with problems that aren't always easy to see. After leaving a facility that
provided assisted living, there was inadequate assistance provided in the search for work. It may
be possible for people to overcome obstacles that prevent them from returning to the workforce
with the assistance of supported employment programmes.

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CHAPTER # 1 INTRODUCTION
Background
People who are homeless often lack the necessities for maintaining their health and
happiness, such as a secure place to sleep every night. Some claim that providing care for
homeless persons costs seven times as much as providing care for regular citizens. Aiming to end
homelessness is a goal for policymakers because it is morally and economically right. It has been
shown that joining the labour force helps to alleviate homelessness. Gaining employment may
aid those who were homeless in ending their cycle of homelessness due to the permanency of
housing and the independence that comes with earning a living wage (McCann and Brown.
2021). Malta is one of several nations that have developed initiatives and regulations intended to
reduce homelessness and increase the likelihood of excluded groups participating fully in
society, including the political and economic spheres. Contrary to common assumption,
homeless people are equally eager to find job and recognise the social and financial advantages
of doing so (Sample and Ferguson. 2020).
People who are homeless due to a mental condition often look for work to stabilise their
lives. Possible benefits include minimising homelessness and aiding in the treatment of mental
illness. However, finding and keeping a job while homeless is fraught with difficulties. Initial
research indicates that without adequate accommodation, it will be difficult to overcome
occupational barriers (Paat et al., 2019). Researchers suggest merging supported housing and
supported work programmes to minimise homelessness since there is likely a two-way link
between housing and employment (having a place to live makes having a job easier, and having
a job makes having a place to live simpler). Any community's and economy's health depends on
people being employed. Two key policy considerations drive the "welfare to work" agenda,
which aims to increase labour force participation and hasten the transition of recipients off of
social assistance. A diminishing work force is the outcome of numerous reasons, including a
dropping birthrate and an older population (Cleary et al., 2020).
The effects of the present restrictive fiscal policy settings are being felt in the welfare
sector at a time of global economic instability and a contracting labour market. Third, having a
job is seen as a need for social engagement and a means of overcoming poverty, if not an
essential condition (Humphries and Canham. 2021). Working from both an individual and a
societal perspective is essential. Long-term unemployment is associated with real health risks.

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Having a job is a great way to develop relationships that you can rely on when you need them.
Two pillars serve as the foundation of life: the drive to work that is driven by an enduring need
and the strength of shared human love. A disproportionately high prevalence of mental health
and drug misuse issues affect those who live on the streets. For the abolition of homelessness and
the prevention of re-homelessness among those who have been homeless, stable work that
provides a decent wage is essential (Fleury et al., 2021).
The key to successfully reintegrating the long-term and chronically jobless, as well as the
homeless, back into the workforce is to take use of their unique set of talents, interests, and
passions. It may be challenging for those who are homeless to find employment, especially one
that pays well and is long-term. Jobs are often not situated in areas with inexpensive housing,
perpetuating cycle of disadvantage. For those who are homeless, finding employment again is
challenging for a variety of reasons (Wusinich et all., 2019). Sometimes homeless people lack
the qualifications and interview skills necessary to get a good job. If they don't have a regular
residence, it could be difficult to reach them. It is conceivable that employers will not hire
formerly homeless persons since they do not perceive them as trustworthy workers. Although it's
well known that losing a job might lead to homelessness, it's not always the case. In addition, it
is uncertain which jobless persons become homeless or what leads them to be homeless
(Wusinich et all., 2019).
Equally significant is the fact that there are several reasons of homelessness, including
unemployment, and that there is no one kind of homeless person. To affect early intervention and
preventive actions more effectively, a fuller knowledge of the routes into and beyond
unemployment is essential (Fraenkel et al., 2020). While the Federal Government White Paper
favoured what it called "turning off the tap" in terms of early intervention and prevention, it also
firmly supported placing those who become homeless in permanent housing as soon as possible
and helping them reintegrate into their communities by engaging in activities like finding
employment and enrolling in school (Rankin et al., 2019).
Research problem
Many people who are homeless would want to work, yet there is a significant
unemployment and underemployment rate among this population. Mental and physical health
problems, drug abuse problems, and a lack of vocational training are all factors that might

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prevent an individual from finding gainful work (McCann and Brown. 2021). Unwelcoming
labour market circumstances, prejudice in hiring procedures, bureaucratic red tape, and stringent
shelter laws are all examples of institutional impediments to work.
Research questions:
 What are the barriers to employment that homeless people encounter?
 How do these employment issues impact the homeless people residing in Malta?
 What can Maltese policy makers do to reduce the number of homeless people in
Malta?
Aims and objectives
The primary purpose of the research is to contribute toward realising all three of those
objectives.
 It may be possible to enhance the quality of the service system by integrating the
findings of research into pre-existing policies and programmes.
 This ubiquitous societal problem may be better understood via the lens of an
investigation of the link between unemployment and homelessness.
 It's possible that acquiring further knowledge about the two issues and how they
interact with one another can aid enhance data and measurement.

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REFERENCES
Cleary, M., Visentin, D., Thapa, D.K., West, S., Raeburn, T. and Kornhaber, R., 2020. The
homeless and their animal companions: An integrative review. Administration and Policy
in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 47(1), pp.47-59.
Fleury, M.J., Grenier, G., Sabetti, J., Bertrand, K., Clément, M. and Brochu, S., 2021. Met and
unmet needs of homeless individuals at different stages of housing reintegration: A
mixed-method investigation. PloS one, 16(1), p.e0245088.
Fraenkel, P., 2020. Time as a source of struggle and resilience in homeless families. Time &
Society, 29(2), pp.581-603.
Giesler, M.A., 2019. The collaboration between homeless shelters and public libraries in
addressing homelessness: A multiple case study. Journal of Library
Administration, 59(1), pp.18-44.
Humphries, J. and Canham, S.L., 2021. Conceptualizing the shelter and housing needs and
solutions of homeless older adults. Housing Studies, 36(2), pp.157-179.
McCann, E. and Brown, M.J., 2021. Homeless experiences and support needs of transgender
people: A systematic review of the international evidence. Journal of nursing
management, 29(1), pp.85-94.
Paat, Y.F., Morales, J., Tullius, R., Moya, E.M. and Alcantara, R., 2019. A life course approach
to understanding homelessness of shelter residents. Journal of Social Distress and the
Homeless, 28(2), pp.176-185.
Rankin, S.K., 2019. Punishing homelessness. New Criminal Law Review, 22(1), pp.99-135.
Sample, K. and Ferguson, K.M., 2020. It shouldn’t be this hard: Systemic, situational, and
intrapersonal barriers to exiting homelessness among homeless young adults. Qualitative
Social Work, 19(4), pp.580-598.
Wusinich, C., Bond, L., Nathanson, A. and Padgett, D.K., 2019. “If you’re gonna help me, help
me”: Barriers to housing among unsheltered homeless adults. Evaluation and Program
Planning, 76, p.101673.