Ventura County In-Home Supportive Services workers, members of SEIU Local 2015—the nation’s largest longterm care union and California’s largest labor union, representing over 470,000 nursing home workers and home care providers—gathered at the Ventura County Board of Supervisors recently to advocate for fair, livable wages and healthcare.
These care providers are amplifying their voices to spotlight wage disparities and advocate for improved working conditions for women of color, who make up the majority of the caregiving workforce. In California, 80% of in-home care workers are women, and 74% are people of color.
A recent SEIU 2015 survey of Ventura County IHSS workers revealed that:
73.3% of IHSS providers in Ventura County report working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Full-time IHSS providers earn, on average, $26,617 annually before taxes, insufficient to cover basic essentials, even for a single adult.
60.3% of Ventura IHSS providers have difficulty paying their mortgage or rent each month.
20% Ventura IHSS providers spend more than 75% of their income on housing.
51% of Ventura IHSS providers report being sometimes or often unable to afford necessary medications.
Ventura County IHSS providers are negotiating a contract that includes livable wages, which is crucial for recognizing the vital work they do and improving their financial security. At present, the Ventura County IHSS wage of $18.25 an hour is only 65.3% of the living wage for a single-person household in the county, and a mere 37.4% for a household with one child. A wage increase is essential to help caregivers, primarily women of color, support themselves and their families without severe financial stress.
Twenty percent of home care providers consider leaving the profession due to low wages and lack of benefits, including healthcare. Increased pay is critical to retaining current caregivers and attracting new workers to this essential field.
In 2023, Ventura County had 860,070 unused IHSS hours, indicating that many individuals were unable to receive the care they needed. The IHSS program serves approximately 7,137 low-income aged, blind, and disabled recipients in Ventura County each month, and the caseload continues to grow annually.
Ventura County must invest in these indispensable workers to ensure a stable and high-quality care system for its aging population.
Juana Mendez, a Ventura IHSS provider and SEIU 2015 member, shared her experience providing care for her recipient Rosa: “It’s so hard to get by on low poverty wages, but there’s been these moments that I’ve found myself using my own money to buy toilet paper and medications for Rosa. I didn’t know how I was going to make it into the next week. I live paycheck to paycheck. These are the moments we need the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to not only see, but to experience what it is like to work a day in our shoes. I believe that Ventura County will invest in long term care to reflect the value of our work because when we fight, we win.”
Maria Andres, a Ventura IHSS provider and SEIU 2015 member, knows the economic hardship and the need for livable wages and healthcare. “As caregivers, we work hard to support those we care for, but it’s tough to make ends meet with the current wages and the need for healthcare. We need a livable wage for the important work we do, and we need healthcare. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors needs to recognize our value and invest in us so we can continue to be the backbone of our community and provide quality care.”
SEIU Local 2015 is dedicated to advocating for policies that support in-home care providers and those they care for, including livable wages, benefits, and access to training and professional development opportunities. We urge the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to collaborate with us in addressing these critical issues, ensuring that all who qualify have access to the care they need and deserve in the comfort of their own homes.
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