Pros
I really wanted to like this job, especially because the company has been recognized for its work with homeless populations—something I genuinely care about. Unfortunately, the reality of working here has been far from what I expected. On my first day, a colleague told me, “This place is great, but the CEO makes it hard for you to do your job,” and I quickly found that to be incredibly true. There’s a noticeable culture of favoritism here, and it’s hard to ignore how management seems to protect a certain class of employees while others struggle. If you’re not in that circle, you’re often left to fend for yourself with little to no support. It’s especially disheartening when you realize that the workplace seems to favor individuals with lighter complexions, which speaks volumes about the environment here. The pros? The organization hires some truly passionate, dedicated staff, particularly within the African American community, who are the heart and soul of the work. These individuals work incredibly hard and care deeply about the mission, but unfortunately, they are often the ones who are fired or pushed out. It’s evident that the company has a troubling pattern of letting go of great staff—especially those from marginalized backgrounds—sometimes seemingly because of personal biases from management. There’s a real issue here where Black employees are disproportionately let go, sometimes for reasons that feel more personal than professional. It’s incredibly disheartening to witness.
Cons
Cons? Headache of a place. While the company gets credit for addressing the homelessness crisis—an issue that affects so many marginalized communities—its systems are woefully inadequate when it comes to providing truly holistic and effective care. The infrastructure is just not built to handle emergencies or serve people in a meaningful way, and it’s frustrating to see how that impacts both patients and staff. The leadership and management culture is toxic. Employees are belittled, constantly asked if they’re competent enough to handle an overwhelming workload, and given zero support to actually succeed. The expectations are unrealistically high without any of the necessary resources. When I first accepted the job, I was under the impression that I would be trusted to do my work and trusted to do it well. What I quickly realized, though, was that success here often means working without micromanagement, because when that micromanagement sets in, it’s almost like the systems are designed to set you up to fail. The lack of trust in employees is staggering, and it's clear that if you're not in the “right” group, you’re not going to succeed. To make matters worse, I’ve personally witnessed a manager openly refer to one of the Oakland sites as “one of the worst areas in Oakland.” That statement felt not only out of touch but also incredibly insensitive, especially coming from someone who doesn’t represent the community they serve. It made me wonder why someone so disconnected from the area would even comment on it at all. If you’re fortunate enough to be part of the favored group, this might be a great place to work. But if you’re not, don’t expect to be treated equally. This company has potential, but until the leadership changes its approach and starts taking real action to address the disparities in how employees and patients are treated, it’s hard to recommend.