Invisible People’s Top 10 News Posts for 2021

Top Homelessness News Stories 2021

Division seems to be the defining characteristic of 2021. It’s true regarding politics and policies. It’s true regarding how we handle the pandemic. And it’s true with developing solutions to homelessness. This growing division is one reason we published new research to help advocates and policymakers influence positive change.

While 2021 is a year most of us want to forget, there were some bright spots.

We have been working to change the narrative on homelessness since 2008. Most of that time, we were alone in seeing how public perceptions influence policy change. This has always been a battle, but it’s never been as hard as it is today. The good news is many in the homeless sector have now joined us in talking about narrative change. To validate this change, a major cable news show highlighted how public perceptions influence policies for the first time ever. If you haven’t yet, please watch Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’s show on homelessness.

While this new attention to narrative change work opens many opportunities, it’s crucial that we work smart and quickly as a sector. Homelessness is growing. The criminalization of poverty is growing. More people are dying outside without a home. We must respond with urgency. 

Invisible People’s work has never been more critical than it is now, and we are grateful to our partners and donors who help make it possible.

Thanks to the support from people just like you choosing to be a part of the solution, Invisible People is committed to changing harmful beliefs about homelessness. With your help, we reach over 10 million people a month, educating them on the truth about homelessness.

One big highlight out of 2021 is we produced our first scripted film, Mobile, about a woman being evicted and with no choice but to live in her car. More scripted filmsmini-documentaries, and first-person interviews we are known for will be coming in 2022.

We started our journalism initiative three years ago. Our writers are dedicated to bringing you quality, original reporting on homelessness and related topics. This year, we published 267 news stories also syndicated on Apple News and Google News. Here are some highlights:

Homelessness discussion

How to Counter Hate and Prejudice Against Homeless People

It’s easy to get upset when people speak hatefully about homeless people. Here are some tips to help keep your cool while taking a fact-based, educational approach to these types of situations.

violence against homeless people

Evicting People into Homelessness Should be Punished as a Violent Crime

All illegal evictions resulting in another’s homelessness should be considered violent crimes as homelessness leads to the increased likelihood of chronic illnesses and premature death.

homelessness takes work

Being Homeless Takes a Lot of Work

If homeless people were truly lazy, they would not survive.

born into homelessness

How Can Homelessness Be a ‘Choice’ if People Are Born into It?

Approximately 1 in 30 school-aged children are homeless, which is the highest it has ever been in US history.

homelessness isn't what it looks like

Why Homelessness Isn’t What It Looks Like

Most visible variations of homelessness do not reflect the majority of cases of homelessness. For example, homeless people with drug addictions are more visible but not more plentiful.

Generational Poverty

How Generational Poverty Exacerbates Homelessness

We must learn to view investment in our communities as homeless prevention. By investing in mental health and substance abuse programs, we aren’t just treating symptoms of homelessness—we’re investing in prevention as well.

Invisible People Market Research

Credit Image: © Jay Janner – USA TODAY NETWORK

The Public Wants to Solve Homelessness. So Why Haven’t We?

Our 2021 research identifies America’s view on the criminalization and policing of homeless populations and how an individual’s race, faith, and homeownership status affect perceptions on the issue. Learn more about what stands in the way of ending homelessness.

homeless

Why Don’t Homeless People Deserve Sympathy?

It’s disgusting how the media makes housed people the victims when homeless people are the real people who are suffering.

People in Power choose homelessness

Credit Image © Rishi DekaZUMA Press Wire

Why People in Positions of Power Choose Homelessness

Homelessness is a choice, but not for the individuals experiencing it. Politicians and people in power force homelessness onto fellow humans by opting for policies that fail to end homelessness.

former homeless youth

Ex-Landlord Comes After Formerly Homeless Youth Five Years Later

Therapy cannot heal the trauma caused by poverty, as Jocelyn shares in this column: “Capitalism doesn’t wait or care about human life, and much of the time, neither do landlords.”

Additional Notable News Posts from 2021

Mobile Homelessness Is the Highest It Has Ever Been

While many people used to get in their cars and head to work, they are now getting in their cars and turning in for the night.

The Harrowing Truth About Eviction Trials

Tenants facing eviction are at a severe disadvantage when fighting for their homes.

LA’s Campaign to Construct Unaffordable Homes Works Against Residents Across the Nation

DYK? In LA, there are more empty luxury rental units than homeless people. Why? Because real estate developers are only building homes for the rich.

It Isn’t that People Don’t Want to Work. They Just Don’t Want to Work and Still be Homeless.

Many homeless people work. Some even work more than one job. Imagine having multiple jobs and still not being able to afford rent.

The Role Labor Unions Play in Preventing Homelessness

Labor unions helped create affordable housing for workers in the past – can we replicate the effort today?

Federal Court Rules Homeless People Have Property Rights

Homeless people have a right to personal property just as housed people do. And, according to a recent ruling, a federal court agrees.


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We imagine a world where everyone has a place to call home. Until then, we strive to be the most trusted source for homelessness news, education and advocacy.

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