PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — In the month it’s been open, business has been steady at Pink Bird Car Wash off Belvedere and Australian near West Palm Beach.
Owner Brent Andrews said the search for employees hasn’t been easy.
He found help though, through community partnerships, including local nonprofit Vita Nova, a group with a goal of helping youth find a bridge from foster care and homelessness to independence.
“For us we wanted to make sure our time spent and dollars impact the communities we serve,” Andrews aid.
It’s the direction that Tatiana Ruiz, a 21-year-old new employee, said she needs
“With having a job, it makes me feel more secure and organized because I have more or less a set schedule,” Ruiz said.
Something stable — that hasn’t come easy after leaving home at an early age.
Ruiz explained, “I was witnessing an abusive household and I felt at some point it was the last straw so I had to leave at 19 years old.”
Ruiz has been in and out of homelessness and seeking permanent housing since September.
She says Vita Nova has been a huge help with more than just employment.
“It feels awesome because not only have I been with them for over two years now, that I know that they also will be there to help support us even financially but not only that for emotional support you know with therapy,” Ruiz said.
But she’s still on a long waitlist to get housing, joining thousands of other in the county with no guaranteed roof over their heads, despite having a job.
As of December 2022, Zip Recruiter listed the average salary in West Palm Beach at $48,339 per year.
Compare that with the $2,725 amount for an average rent for a one-bedroom apartment for the same area listed by Rent.com and you’re not left with a lot of wiggle room.
“When there’s one person coming to get help and there’s 10 other people in line, it’s very discouraging in the moment but that’s why it’s very important to be persistent with the help that you want and you deserve,” Ruiz said.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development numbers from January 2020 show an estimated 27,48 people classified as homeless in the state.
More than 1,300 of those were unaccompanied adults 18 to 24 — people like Tatiana.
“It’s hard to keep track of so many people. It’s a huge population,” she said.
While she waits, she says she’ll keep working proving a little elbow grease goes a long way.