Ending Homelessness When We Don’t “See” It Happening
I live in Los Angeles, so the true face of homelessness is something I see every day. But homelessness is rampant not just in LA, but throughout our country in all major cities. Even if your town isn’t known for its showcase of tents and street-dwellers in an area as pronounced and recognized as Skid Row, homelessness still exists, everywhere.
We know it’s out there
Of course, homelessness is no secret in Los Angeles. The LA Times reports that in LA County there are almost 59,000 homeless people countywide, representing a 12% increase over last year.
Nationwide, it’s been reported that 553,00 people in the US are homeless, a figure up .3% from 2017. A full one-third of these people are homeless with their families and children.
Some states are more known for homelessness than others. Sources say the state with the highest homeless population is Washington, DC, with a rate 5.8 times the national rate. Next up are Hawaii, Oregon, and California. When you dive deeper, you learn that at the city level, four of the five cities with the highest rate of unsheltered homeless people are in California, with San Francisco and Los Angeles topping the list.
Experts guess that the high rates of homelessness in communities along the East and West Coasts may be a result of rising housing prices, or in the case of California, warmer climates. Still, others blame local laws and policing practices. This is in light of the fact that homeless numbers have not swelled in warm states like Texas and Florida.
Whatever the reason, it’s out there, and we don’t always see it.
How come?
It may be because if it’s not right outside your door you’re not seeing it anywhere else. I came across this article recently, which explained that issues surrounding housing security and homelessness in the US are being “grossly under covered, oversimplified and misrepresented” on TV programming and in newspapers. The article outlines how in reviewing America’s 12 “most read” newspapers, researchers found that homelessness and other housing stability issues garnered less than 0.002% of news attention in 2018.
Further, the article reported that in the “most watched” TV programming in 2018, most references to the homeless were related to supporting charity organizations. In addition, on TV shows homeless people literally have had no voice. I found it interesting that 80% of homeless characters were “one-episode” characters. More than half of them had less than 10 lines, and nearly half were either “seen” or “talked about,” but not heard from directly.
It’s no wonder awareness is low, and people don’t realize how serious homelessness is.
If it’s not out in front of our doorsteps, or on our TV screens, we all may overlook it, and nothing will ever change.
The issue of homelessness is something I feel very close to. Although I am not homeless, and never have been, I know that many of us face challenges that bring out our vulnerabilities — shame, addiction, anxiety, mental health problems, and more. And there but by the Grace of God, we may not be homeless. But we could be. We, as human beings, are not all that different.
What we can do
The answers to homelessness are complex and full of barriers — See 5 Radical Ideas for Solving Homelessness in California. Answers will not come overnight. Still, there are things we all can do in the meantime, in light of the realities on the streets and the dearth of coverage in the media:
First, just be more aware of the issue.Subscribe to my blog, follow me on Facebook, and check out my latest podcasts. Knowledge is power and it can go a long way.
Do research in your own city. What is the homelessness situation where you live? What are the laws and policies, and are they working?
Talk to your local politicians. Call, write, and vote, as it all matters. We need a collective voice.
Volunteer, donate, or advocate.Homelessness is happening all around us. There are things you can do to help, and you can play a role in the solution.
Thanks for following,
Steve