The Illusion of Progress: How Shelters Fail the Unhoused

What does it mean to be homeless? The U.S. government defines “homelessness” as a condition in which an individual or family lacks a fixed, regular, nighttime residence. 

When Josie lost her job years ago, she found herself without a place to live. She turned to a homeless shelter for assistance, and worked on getting a job in the meantime. When she got a job at a nearby bar, however, she was deemed “not homeless enough anymore” and was forced out of the shelter. 

Josie’s minimum wage salary couldn’t cover the costs of housing, food, and transportation; she found herself back where she had started – on the streets, homeless and hungry. 

Federal regulations under programs funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) state that supportive services should focus on housing stability rather than solely on whether an individual gains employment. Additionally, under California state law, shelters must provide services designed to help individuals transition to stable housing, but there’s no statewide law explicitly barring shelters from terminating services for individuals who gain employment. 

Many homeless shelters often evict clients once they secure employment to inflate their success metrics without contributing to sustainable solutions for homelessness. A study by the National Alliance to End Homelessness found that many shelters prioritize short-term placements, leading to high turnover rates that leave individuals without stable housing after they leave.  

Another study by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority conducted in 2020 noted that many shelters claim success by moving individuals into jobs, but fail to provide follow-up services such as financial counseling, housing assistance, or mental health support, causing many to end up back on the streets. 

Yes, Josie had finally landed a job. But no, unfortunately, she had not broken out of the cycle of homelessness. Instead, she was forced to look for another shelter that would take her in. This is exactly what happens when the system prioritizes statistics over meaningful progress. In the absence of long-term housing solutions, individuals often cycle through multiple temporary shelters, exacerbating their instability rather than resolving their housing crisis. 

There are countless other individuals like Josie, who have been taken in and kicked out by homeless shelters, often after securing employment but before finding stable, permanent housing. For many, the initial relief of shelter quickly turns into another layer of instability. With limited resources and support, people like Josie are left to fend for themselves, either returning to the streets or living in temporary situations that don’t provide the safety and security they need to build a better life. 

Ultimately, without meaningful interventions and sustainable housing solutions, the promise of a better life remains just out of reach for many like Josie.