Lived Experience Council Low Barrier Job Opportunity Advocacy Letter
The independent Lived Experience Council of Multnomah County recently sent an advocacy letter to state and local leaders seeking to collaborate on the creation of more low barrier job opportunities for people who are houseless. You can access the PDF of the full letter here (text is also below).
November 22, 2023
Dear Governor Kotek, County Commissioners, and City Commissioners,
We are a group of people with living and lived experience of houselessness in the Portland area. The independent Lived Experience Council of Multnomah County wants to use our first-hand experience to make a positive impact in our community. In the continuous improvement spirit of Built for Zero we want to work together to help create more low-barrier job opportunities for people who are houseless. Increasing the number of these job opportunities would have a significant positive impact in the community.
We know there is a need for more low-barrier job opportunities in the community in part because those organizations that provide low-barrier jobs have more people seeking work than available positions. For example, Ground Score Association in Portland often has over 40-60 people who show up to try and get 4 available pick-up shifts (which are distributed via lottery) at the downtown location.
Just as our community needs a continuum of shelter-to-housing options, from safe sleep sites and villages, to permanent supportive housing, we also need diversity when it comes to low-barrier job opportunities. The different types of opportunities that we need include:
Pick-up shifts (getting paid that day) or day labor (e.g. Ground Score Association pick-up shifts)
Low-barrier apprenticeship
Regular low-barrier (e.g. The People’s Depot)
Independent contractors (e.g. Street Roots vendor)
We need low-barrier job opportunities that are available for people who do not have an address, do not have an ID, may not have access to hygiene facilities, cannot pass a drug test, have different abilities, are neurodivergent, and/or have a criminal record. We also need different types of opportunities to provide options for people who may not feel comfortable within the conventional workforce.
The creation of a low-barrier job temp agency could help facilitate matching up job opportunities with people who need work especially if the agency had staff who have lived experience. People are more likely to listen and trust people who are part of their community.
When you give a person a job, it helps them to feel better about themselves, provides dignity, gives people something to do, and provides people stability by having a schedule. It also gives people a possible community. More low-barrier job opportunities would reduce the number of people who need to panhandle or potentially steal to survive. Having a job is part of harm reduction and gives drug users an opportunity to improve their lives and also minimizes potential negative impacts on society.
We hope to work together to encourage businesses, non-profits, and government agencies to create more low-barrier job opportunities.