Not one story fits all

Earlier this year a homeless women was interviewed by a local news outlet and when questioned about her living situation and what she does on a day-to-day, her responses were nothing but an astonishing eye opener which made her interview go viral. In the now infamous quote, "its a piece of cake" when questioning about being homeless, she made a few head turns and begs the question, is it really bad to be homeless?

Although it may seem like her makeshift home-tent, reliability of social services from the local community and the monetary help from the state, a well grounded evidence that some homeless people might not be willing to trade the nomadic lifestyle, for responsibilities and a safety net. This may not be the same situation for everyone.

Before turning heads on how much support she receives, and judge her "comfort" lifestyle, we must first analyze the demographics, dangers and unstable conditions homeless people face on a day-to-day basis. There are children, families altogether, minorities, single parents and elderly that fit the same criteria as the "piece of cake" women yet not all homeless story fit all, not all stories are "piece of cake".

In an article for The Oregonian the Scott Kerman states "highlighting one interview to discount the complicated causes behind our homelessness crisis ignores the real enabler of the widespread misery our collective inability to confront our lack of housing, our inadequate mental health care and our growing indifference to the systemic hurdles we ask individual to overcome" her further concludes " our homeless community is not a monolith" meaning that not one story fits all.

To learn more about the article please visit : https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2023/01/opinion-no-its-not-easy-being-homeless-in-portland.html