How many times have you walked down M Street and carefully averted your eyes, sped up or even crossed the street to avoid someone asking for change on a street corner? Trained from a young age in the philosophy of hard work and self-sufficiency, my own justifications for doing so are almost automatic—“How dare they stir up these feelings of embarrassment and discomfort? Why don’t they get a real job instead of sitting on the corner, or worse—sleeping (even though it’s known that many sleep during the day so they can stay awake at night and guard themselves and their belongings)? Won’t they just use the money for drugs or alcohol? It’s just a scam.”
I (Sarah) am sometimes shocked by how instinctive these thoughts and feelings are, especially since I have worked in shelters before and know about the systematic societal failures that leave people on the streets. And yet, the myths surrounding homelessness still control my primary reactions.
Street Sense is a biweekly newspaper, founded in 2003, with the mission of raising public awareness about homelessness and poverty issues and creating economic opportunities for homeless people in D.C. Vendors from Street Sense, all homeless combat these pervading false assumptions surrounding homelessness and talk candidly about their experiences and the circumstances that left them without a home.
The charge that the homeless are just lazy and need to work harder to get back on their feet is a gross simplification and an intellectually lazy generalization of a deeper problem. Not only is this mindset contributing to homelessness by reinforcing the erroneous notion of the “self-made man,” but it also overlooks the fact that working hard does not always guarantee financial security. Many people who become homeless were working or had been working for a long time until anything from economic downturn to illness caused them to lose their employment. When these events happen, most often the people who find themselves homeless are the ones without a safety net. When you live from paycheck to paycheck, sometimes all it takes is one or two missed paychecks to lose your home.
Economics is at the root of homelessness. Personal problems, lack of education, domestic violence, alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness, poor work habits and lack of social skills are all contributing factors, but there are people with each of these problems who are not homeless. People become homeless because they don’t have the economic resources to deal with their problems. Ending homelessness does not mean fixing broken people, it means fixing a broken system. Until we find a way to spread economic opportunity to everyone, we will continue to have increased homelessness.
In the meantime, D.C.’s homeless need food, water and clothing—all things that could easily be donated through charity. But these do not address the most important need: the restoration of human dignity. Earlier this semester, I had a small taste of what these men and women experience daily when I realized that I was 25 cents short of my Metro fare. Burying my pride and turning and asking the lady behind me if I could borrow a quarter took more out of me than I could have imagined. And this was when I was obviously a student, dressed nicely with combed hair. Imagine the shame and frustration these men and women must feel knowing that not only are they being looked down upon for their appearance, but that they are powerless to do anything about it. How many times a day do people’s condemning glances or avoidance only serve to increase this degradation?
Working with someone to help them succeed is usually a matter of removing obstacles. Street Sense works to provide vendors an opportunity to take control of their future. According to their website, “Street Sense vendors pay 25 cents for each paper to cover publishing costs and then sell each paper for a dollar.” They keep the profits, which can provide them with food, and selling the papers gives them the skills they need to succeed in getting a stable income which then provides the opportunities to get back on their feet.
This Thursday, April 10, at 5 p.m. in ICC 223, A HOPE and Georgetown Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship are hosting vendors from Street Sense. Please join us this Thursday in listening to their stories and learning how we can help and partner to stop the epidemic of homelessness in D.C. and our neighborhood.
