'Living' Homeless

The phrase "living homeless",  is one that, to me, sounds more and more like an oxymoron. As someone who has been a member of the homeless community since the fall of 2019, I would argue that 'living' homeless is not truly "living" at all. To live, is to exist, and hopefully, to thrive in some way. To live, is to have some kind of peace, love, and perhaps general comfort in your life. Sadly, these things are not easily found among those that are unhoused. Instead, we often feel as if we do not exist.. or perhaps, that we shouldn't. We are often shunned by the 'general' population and left to feel like a burden, or worse yet, like a problem. We become something that is no longer human. We no longer 'exist' in the typical sense of the word, rather, we simply survive. Survival becomes your primary focus; your secondary focus, being a constant internal struggle to come up with reasons why you should continue to survive. Finding those reasons can become increasingly difficult, as do the obstacles you face. Often, they seem to go hand in hand. 

Generally speaking, the majority of ‘everyday citizens’ have a tendency to walk by the homeless with their ‘blinders’ on. Many act as if these fellow humans are invisible or simply not there at all, which, for the record, is exactly how that action makes them feel. It can be a very isolating and damaging experience and one that you have to endure on a daily basis as someone who is unhoused. The effects of being homeless on a person's mental and emotional state is deeply concerning and hardly ever positive. However, if I CAN attest to anything positive about ‘living’ homeless, it would be something like this: I have met some of the most AMAZING, KIND, and INTERESTING individuals since becoming a part of this community. Being unhoused has taught me more about myself and about human nature than I could ever have learned in a classroom (or anywhere else for that matter). As difficult as this experience has been, and continues to be, I regret none of it. It has been a gift to know others and myself the way that I currently do. This understanding would not have been possible without this experience, so in that aspect, I am forever grateful.

    The issues regarding homelessness are many, possibly even endless, as are the potential solutions to address it. Everyone has their own opinions and experiences, a select few might even have answers. Fewer still can offer solutions that may actually prove to be successful. My intention is not to portray myself as someone who knows the answers to the many questions surrounding homelessness. Unfortunately, that is not something I am able to offer. However, what I WILL attempt to accomplish is a shift in the narrative regarding the unhoused population. It is my hope to provide a more positive and open-minded perspective of this unjustly persecuted and outcasted group of individuals. My goal is to allow others a glimpse into the realities of 'living' homeless and what that entails. And lastly, but most certainly not least, I aim to regain some of the humanity that I myself, and others, have lost or had stolen from us simply because we are a part of this community.

The question I find myself asking now is ‘HOW?’ How does one approach the discussion of homelessness? And, not only that, but how does one do it in a way that is truthful and fair? How can someone accurately and open-mindedly discuss such an important aspect of our society and culture? How does one offer validity to such a multitude of opinions, points of view, and experiences? In all honesty, I’m not sure that there is a ‘right’ answer to any of these questions. As a matter of fact, I’m not even sure that those are the questions I should be asking in the first place. I am unsure because my goal is NOT to have a discussion about homelessness. My goal is to have a discussion regarding the lives and experiences of those who have been placed into this categorical cardboard box and labeled as ‘homeless’. As a matter of fact, my goal is to have MANY conversations about the people who are/have been considered part of the homeless community. The goal of having these conversations, (at least for me) is to help create a new narrative in regards to homelessness. A new narrative, in which, being unhoused does not simply generalize and stereotype all the individuals who are part of this community. 

Homelessness is something that should not be generalized because it is not a general or stereotypical issue. ‘Living’ homeless is a very personal and individualized experience. And each INDIVIDUAL who is ‘living’ homeless has had different contributing factors, as well as, separate and varying obstacles that are keeping them trapped. EACH has separate actions that have the potential to assist them to one day ESCAPE the lifestyle they currently live. These individuals have been tossed aside by society, and often by family and friends. Many have lost nearly everything that they once held dear and now struggle to have any privacy, space to call their own, or even the basic essentials necessary for survival. Unless you’ve had to experience this first hand, you will not fully understand how deeply these things can hurt someone or how insignificant it might make them feel.

This type of lifestyle and existence changes you, whether you like it or not. It changes how you look at the world and how you come to understand it. But more importantly, it changes how you look at yourself. It becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible, to maintain any positive level of self-worth, or self-love. The community you’ve become a part of is constantly berated in the headlines and continue to be stripped of their basic human rights. As Americans, we are taught that we hold the right to LIFE, LIBERTY, and THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. How can one have life, without anywhere they are able to comfortably live it? How can one feel they have liberty, while they are constantly treated in unjust ways simply because they are unhoused? How can one even begin to pursue any kind of happiness when they ONLY have time to focus on their survival? 

This community I’ve become a part of, is one that is FULL of beautiful PEOPLE. Beautiful people who are hurt. PEOPLE who are gravely misunderstood and misrepresented in the headlines. PEOPLE who DESERVE empathy, understanding, and love. PEOPLE who DESERVE to actually ENJOY the lives they are living. My hope is to offer a fair, truthful, and raw view of what it is really like to be 'living' homeless. I would like to find ways for those of us who are unhoused to reclaim the ability, and the right, to feel human again. Because that is what we are.. HUMANS. We deserve to remember, and to know that again.

-Talia Hill

*If you are (or have ever been) homeless, OR, if you work directly/indirectly with the unhoused population and are interested in being interviewed as part of the continuation of this project/publication, PLEASE, do not hesitate to contact the Author directly at: [email protected]