Housing or Employment First? Experimental Evidence of a Counselling Program for Homeless Job Seekers
Homelessness and housing instability are catalysts for poverty and social exclusion. Individuals experiencing unstable housing often face significant barriers to securing employment, integrating into the labor market, and participating fully in economic, social, and cultural life. Despite widespread recognition of these challenges, homelessness rates continue to rise in France and other countries, and there remains limited empirical evidence on the trajectories of individuals experiencing homelessness and the effectiveness of large-scale public policies addressing this issue.
A particularly important aspect of this challenge is understanding the relationship between labor market trajectories and homelessness. Recent studies suggest that homeless individuals maintain stronger connections to labor markets and social security systems than previously assumed (e.g. von Wachter et al. (2020), Meyer et al. (2023) in the U.S., Insee (2014), DREES (2023) in France).
This pilot study focuses on job seekers in France who report increasing housing instability, driven by growing pressures in the housing market, with job loss being frequently cited as a primary source for eviction risks (Fondation pour le Logement (2023)). Recent surveys conducted in homeless shelters further indicate that over one-third of adults residing in long-term homeless shelters (Centre d'Hébergement et de Réinsertion Sociale (CHRS)) are actively seeking employment, with the vast majority registered with the French Public Employment Service (PES) (DREES (2023)).
This study will focus on job seekers living in homeless shelters, pursuing two main objectives: First, by leveraging merged administrative and survey data, this pilot will analyze the employment histories of individuals experiencing homelessness. Specifically, records from the nationwide homeless shelter database will be linked with administrative unemployment and employment records to examine patterns in job search behavior and labor market transitions. Second, in collaboration with French government partners, including those involved in Housing First initiatives (Dihal) and the French PES (France Travail), this pilot will design and test a wrap-around job search and housing assistance program targeting homeless job seekers in shelters. The intervention will combine intensive job search support from specialized French PES case workers with broader social and housing assistance provided by shelter-based social workers.
The job search assistance program will be tested on a randomized sample of homeless job seekers living in CHRS shelters across France. Due to limited program capacity, an oversubscription design will be implemented, randomly determining which job seekers receive the wrap-around assistance first. The impact of the program will be measured immediately after the six-month intervention, as well as 6 to 12 months post-program. Administrative records from the homeless shelter system and the French PES will be used to assess housing and employment outcomes. Additionally, survey data will be collected to gain deeper insights into the needs and constraints faced by homeless job seekers, particularly in the context of the “Housing vs. Employment First” debate.
In conclusion, this pilot study helps inform and refine the wraparound job search assistance program for a scale up of the intervention, while also deepening our understanding of the relationship between homelessness, labor markets, and the effectiveness of public policies. The rigorous data collection in this study further enables an examination of key questions raised in recent literature, particularly why individuals experiencing homelessness struggle to exit homelessness despite having connections to labor markets and social benefit programs. These descriptive insights will also help to further guide the optimal design of public policies targeting this population.
References
DREES (2023), « 200 000 personnes accueillies en centre d’hébergement début 2021 – Premiers résultats de l’enquête ES-DS », Les Dossiers de la DREES N° 113, Paru le 11/10/2023.
Fondation pour le Logement (ex Fondation Abbé Pierre) (2023), « Bilan Plateforme Téléphonique « Allô prévention expulsion» 0810 001 505 Année 2023», Octobre 2023.
INSEE (2014), «Les sans-domicile et l’emploi », Insee Première N° 1494 Avril 2024.
Meyer, B. D., Wyse, A., Grunwaldt, A., Meyer, G. and Wu, D. (2023), The income and safety net participation of the us homeless population, Technical report, Working Paper.
Von Wachter, T., Schnorr, G. and Riesch, N. (2020), ‘Employment and earnings among la county residents experiencing homelessness’, California Policy Lab.