Anyone can experience homelessness

Homelessness something akin to a domestic or local version of refugees or stateless people; and like refugees escaping violence or poverty, our neighbors sleeping on Portland’s streets have more than a few stories to tell. Their stories and circumstances can be complicated, from a collective point of view and in general.

Someone who is “homeless” is not a sub-sentient being, being homeless or houseless it is a state of existence that is sometimes temporary. People experiencing homelessness aren’t always born into it, not all die from it, and not all live their whole lives in that sort of stateless manner.

How people find themselves in a homeless state varies; it can stem from addiction as a result of self-medication from a trauma, it can be from mental illness, maybe financial circumstances pushes someone to live on the streets, or other circumstances. Not everyone who experiences homelessness comes from poverty or some sort of difficult upbringing, but many do.

While providing housing and care for Portland’s stateless population will help people in need – and, might arguably cost less overall than the current system of stigmatizing and criminalizing vagrancy – it may not be a solution with a long-term benefit without addressing the causes of homelessness.

It can be humbling to consider that many people who are living seemingly comfortable lives are also on the brink of becoming homeless and experiencing life without their warm bed or the mental and physical security of having somewhere to go inside. What if your employer decided to shut down the company on a whim and without paying anyone? What would happen if you suffered a debilitating injury or catastrophic weather event? People can experience homelessness while working full-time jobs. I’m living proof of this; I lived in a car for a few months while I worked as a staff photographer for a newspaper chain in Connecticut. Also, the added complications of experiencing homelessness while working adds a tremendous amount of stress to the workdays and, more so, the times between.

In order to best serve our neighbors experiencing homelessness, I think we have to breakdown some of the stereotypes associated with the issue. One way to do that is to become aware of people’s stories and really grasp how fragile your own situation might be. Here are two stories that do just that: One article is about former Olympic track cyclist Rebecca Twigg who now lives on the streets of Seattle, another example of people experiencing homelessness – or being on the verge of it – are teaching faculty who are often severely underpaid and work without benefits.

Like with many problems, it takes a community of people doing what they can to make things better. One way to help is by supporting organizations like Street Roots, which gives our Portland neighbors who are experiencing homelessness and poverty a chance to make an honest dollar while also connecting with the community.