Beyond the Streets: Understanding the Real Stories of Homelessness

Many individuals fail to grasp the complete context. Those facing homelessness have unique life stories and experiences that have led them to their current circumstances. Often, people hastily conclude that it's due to poor choices, substance abuse, or other personally blameworthy situations. As noted by Invisible People, 60% of the public considers addiction or mental health issues as primary factors contributing to homelessness, underscoring the widespread negative stereotypes and stigmas within society. 

It’s important to recognize that many individuals experiencing homelessness may struggle with drug or alcohol addictions, which often stem from difficult chapters in their personal histories. For instance, it’s hard to ignore the visible presence of homeless veterans among us. Many of these brave individuals find themselves in such challenging situations due to the traumatic experiences they endured while serving, which then leads to drug and alcohol usage, as a coping mechanism. Moreover, family issues can also contribute to their struggle; we once met a remarkable lady during one of our charity walks in Hong Kong. She shared her story about living on the streets instead of her daughter’s apartment, a choice shaped by their strained relationship. She only goes to the apartment during the day while her daughter works. Many who come from challenging family backgrounds or grew up in unstable environments are simply going to be more vulnerable, and this puts people at risk of ending up homeless. 

Besides, adding to the stigma surrounding homelessness, invisiblepeople.tv reports that nearly half of Americans fear homeless individuals, and 47% believe they contribute to crime in their neighborhoods. Another factor fueling these misconceptions is media portrayal. TV shows often depict people experiencing homelessness solely as street dwellers, attributing their situation to personal failings without addressing systemic or structural issues. Alarmingly, in 2018, just 0.002% of the news coverage in the 12 most-read U.S. articles focused on homelessness and housing stability. Given the lack of coverage, it’s no surprise that there isn’t enough being done by the community and officials. 

We can also think about the ways in which the public learn about homelessness, and from what they base their opinions. Only 8% of people use experts as a source of information about homelessness, whilst 78% get their information from what they see on the streets or local TV news. This is problematic as it reinforces stereotypes and leads to an overly distorted understanding of homelessness. Availability heuristic, a cognitive bias where people judge the frequency or severity of an issue based on immediate examples that come to mind, means individuals tend to associate homelessness with the visible rough sleepers they see on the streets, addiction, or crime, rather than the broader strucutral issues of a lack of affordable housing, sudden job loss, and domestic violence. In addition, negativity bias, which makes people more likely to focus on and remember negative information, means that the stories about crime or public disturbances that involve people experiencing homelessness are more influential than stories about personal struggles or systemic failures. Sometimes, media coverage prioritizes sensational or extreme cases instead of expert insight, stimulating fear and stigma rather than empathy and solutions, thus making it harder to push for solutions that aim to address the root causes of homelessness. 

So, we've taken a deep dive into the world of homelessness, and it's clear there's a lot more to it than meets the eye. It's not just about addiction or personal choices; there are so many other factors at play, like traumatic experiences, family issues, and systemic problems that we often overlook. The stereotypes and stigmas surrounding homelessness are fueled by what we see on the streets and in the media, but that's only a small part of the story. Understanding the full context is crucial. We need to challenge our biases and look beyond the surface to see people's real struggles. This is about empathy, not fear or judgment.

Works Cited:

Dickerson, Mike. “What America Believes about Homelessness - Invisible People.” Invisible People, 2021, invisiblepeople.tv/2020research/.

Cassandra Sangiuliano. “Media Matters: Changing the Homelessness Narrative | HomelessHub.” HomelessHub, 29 May 2024, homelesshub.ca/blog/2024/media-matters-changing-homelessness-narrative/.