Sam Vecchio wasn’t ready to be homeless.

A month ago, the 56-year-old was working in construction and renting a Simi Valley condo with a couple of roommates.

Today, he’s sleeping behind a dumpster at the back of a liquor store.

Though he is a 27-year journeyman painter, Vecchio had most recently been laying hardwood floors, since that type of work was in demand. But when construction jobs of any kind all but evaporated, he was laid off.

At about the same time, the owner of the condominium where he lived lost his job and had to move out of his new home and back into the condo—an economic domino effect that pushed Vecchio out into the cold.

“I was living month to month and I wasn’t ready for it,” he said. “Within a month, I’m going from making $800 a month to nothing, and now I’m on the street. It happened that fast.”

Vecchio has no savings, no car and no family nearby to lend a hand, but he hasn’t lost his determination. He’s committed to finding a job and pulling himself out of homelessness—if only someone will hire him.

“I’ve got applications in all over town. Nobody’s hiring,” he said. “I can’t even get a dishwasher job.”

Sometimes when he inquires about work, people simply laugh at him, he said. And his lack of a car or a license, which he can’t afford to reinstate, limits him from getting long-term construction jobs because he can’t get to the work site.

Still, Vecchio is hopeful of securing a job as a courtesy clerk at a local Vons and has been told he will get the next position that opens up. Until then, Vecchio takes on short-term construction jobs, most lasting just a day or two.

“A lot of people have no clue what it’s like out here, and I hope they never do,” he said. “I hear the recession’s over, but until I find a job, it’s still on.”

Myth versus reality

Many of those with a roof over their head believe homeless people are lazy and don’t want to work.

But according to a recent survey, that’s far from the case for most of those in Ventura County who are experiencing homelessness—people like Vecchio.

The survey on employment among the county’s homeless population was administered on the streets and in shelter programs during March and April.

A total of 309 homeless persons—about 17 percent of the 1,842 adults tallied in January’s countywide Homeless Count—were asked about their current and past employment and income history. At the end of September, the Ventura County Homeless and Housing Coalition released the results.

The employed homeless

Out of the 309 people surveyed, 47, or 15 percent, said they had jobs. Of those who said they were currently employed, about half worked full-time and 10 said they have more than one job.

Fifty percent of those employed work as laborers or in food service, the survey shows.

Of the 262 respondents who said they were unemployed, nearly 70 percent said they were currently looking for a job and 50 percent said they’d held a job within the past year.

“They don’t work now, but they’ve worked and they want to work,” said Cathy Brudnicki, executive director of the coalition.

Brudnicki said the survey results will enable service providers to better help the homeless, create new programs and improve existing ones. But more importantly, the data paint a clearer picture about the reality of homelessness.

“It really banishes myths about our homeless population,” she said. “I think there are a great deal of people in our community that believe that people who are homeless are shiftless, that they aren’t interested in making their lives better, and this survey disputes that.”

About 35 percent of the employed homeless said they earned a monthly income of more than $1,000, while 33 percent said they made between $501 and $1,000, and 25 percent made less than $300.

“They’re working in relatively low-paying jobs, so they’re not able to keep a roof over their heads,” Brudnicki said.

About half, or 24 people, said they were currently receiving food stamps; six said they were receiving MediCal, and one said he received veteran’s benefits.

Double-edged sword

With the economy the way it is, it’s hard to find a job if you’re housed; it’s doubly hard if you're not, Brudnicki said.

“Just trying to hold your basic needs together is enough of a challenge without having to worry about getting to the job interview on time and being calm,” she said. “As hard as it is for someone who is housed to conduct a job search, think about how difficult it is for someone who doesn’t have a place to live.”

Eric Alkire, 36, knows what it’s like firsthand. The handyman has been homeless for more than a year, for much the same reason as Vecchio. Construction slowed down, his boss no longer had work for him, and he couldn’t pay his rent.

After months of trying to find permanent work, Alkire’s optimism has waned.

“There are so many people out there in the same position,” he said. “I’ve kind of gotten discouraged.”

At night he sleeps in his truck camper in a parking lot, and during the day he parks his trailer outside local home improvement stores hoping someone—a resident or a contractor—will see and answer his sign: “Need a handyman or just a hand?”

Brudnicki said she hopes those who hear the survey results will take them to heart and, if possible, lend a helping hand.

“If people have the opportunity to give someone a chance to work, I hope they will consider that,” she said, adding, “We’re all humans under the skin. We all want the same things.”

To view the complete survey results, visit vchhc.org.