LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — On Tuesday, Lake County’s In-Home Supportive Services, or IHSS, workers, members of SEIU Local 2015, returned to the Board of Supervisors meeting to urge elected officials to invest in long-term care.

Recent polling reveals low wages for Lake home care workers prevent them from paying for housing, feeding their families and accessing medical care:

• 86% of Lake’s IHSS providers work multiple jobs — at least some of the time — just to make ends meet.
• 65% of Lake’s IHSS workers have difficulty paying their rent or mortgage each month, reporting that they are sometimes or always late with their payments. Additionally, 52% of respondents spend at least 50% of their income on housing.
• 53% of Lake’s IHSS workers experience consistent food insecurity, relying on CalFresh and/or food banks at least monthly.
• 51% of Lake’s IHSS workers are sometimes or often unable to access medication — and 52% are sometimes or often prevented from visiting the doctor — due to concerns about cost.
• 90% sometimes or always miss regular car maintenance because it’s too expensive.