At Invisible People, we encourage people who have previously experienced or are currently experiencing homelessness to share their personal stories in their own words. We seek out these talented writers who graciously allow us a glimpse into their life.
Thanks to generous support from people like you, we are able to pay these writers for their talents. At the same time, we can show the world that every individual’s tragic experience is unique. Our readers are privy to a variety of individual circumstances that lead to homelessness. The overall goal is to use their stories to help change the narrative of homelessness.
Today, we are highlighting the top 10 Lived Experience posts from 2020. We hope you will share these stories with others:
I Wouldn’t Wish Being Sick While Homeless on Anyone
Most of us have had a terrible illness at least once in our lives. How grateful were you to be in your own bed with your own bathroom? No matter how much it sucks to get sick, it sucks more when you are homeless.
Visual Perceptions: ‘Funny, You Don’t Look Homeless’
If you look homeless, you’re more likely to be shunned than if you look normal. If you look normal, people assume you are doing well and don’t need help. The idea that a person is hopeless and will just end up back on the street is the mechanism allowing the public to write homelessness off as a lost cause.
Lessons from the Sparrow: Escape Into Homelessness
“My first year out of homelessness was one of great challenge. I left everything for a life free of the constant overwhelming fear of abuse and rage.” In this two-part series, T.T. Leigh shares her journey into homelessness after escaping her abuser.
Punished For Being Poor and Homeless
Housed people are so wary of giving homeless people money. Society is obsessed with poor people’s spending habits especially those who are homeless. But until we shift the blame from the poor to the rich, nothing can change. Now is the time to act.
Remembering a Friend: Donald Armstrong Died Homeless in Brockville
Donald Armstrong was a fixture in Brockville and to his friends, Donnie was a watchful guardian of Brockville’s downtown corridor. “In my city, we took for granted that Donnie would always be there … until he wasn’t.” Leigh Bursey shares the story of his homeless friend, Donald Armstrong, in this tribute.
Utah’s Strategy to Banish Homeless People Is Despicable
As a man who has been homeless in Salt Lake City, Marlo Yost speaks from experience as he blasts Utah and the Mormon Church for trying to relocate their homeless neighbors far from their lavish temples to God and commerce. “I believe the most significant threat to homeless people in Utah is the intolerant, overtly hostile attitude among the governing class.”
Relationships, Domestic Violence, Homelessness: The Woman Who Walked Into Doors
Victims of domestic violence are often left to choose between enduring abuse or homelessness. Denise gives an insider’s perspective in this post: “We all crave stability. Somewhere to call home … but what if home is anything but? What happens when you living with domestic violence?”
In the Midst of COVID-19, Let’s Remember That Housing Is Healthcare
When the eviction moratorium is lifted, every household that has experienced a loss of income will be sinking under months of living expenses. Now is the time to come together to protect yourself and your neighbors, to talk and listen to your homeless friends, to check in, and discover ways to help. We must come together. Our voices are louder in unison.
Forget Getting Sick – Am I Going to be Homeless Again?
I’ve cared about one thing, and it’s not COVID-19. It’s homelessness, and part of me truly believes it will happen again. It’s just a matter of when or how. Bad landlords are still out there, not caring about the eviction moratorium. According to a housing attorney at a civil legal services organization in NYC, landlords continue to threaten tenants with eviction, changing locks, shutting off utilities.
Homeless Industrial Complex: Homelessness Is Not Accidental
A whole business of homelessness has emerged and views homeless individuals as potential sources of revenue, thanks to the local, state and federal funding that keeps homeless shelters in operation. Understanding the Homeless Industrial Complex can make us aware of why and how homelessness is happening so we can take steps to beat it.
