Homelessness Portrayed in the Media

Homelessness is an affliction that seemingly does not discriminate: individuals came from all walks of life. Personal narratives gathered were published by reputable outlets such as the New York Times, The Guardian, and The Huffington Post. Although the location of the authors were geographically mixed they share the same causes of homelessness presented in our Facts and figures article. Here is one story we’d like to share. Marc Conant, 27, from Prestwood, Buckinghamshire, makes a compelling statement: “A lot of people think homelessness can never happen to them, but it can, in the blink of an eye”. Conant knows this to be true from personal experience. He took a fatal drive in 2011 in which he admitted to driving dangerously which ultimately costed a life: “My friend died. My right arm was severed below the elbow, then amputated. I served two years in prison and developed PTSD, depression and anxiety”. (Buist) The stories shared by homeless individuals helps humanize them and bring attention to the support they need.

Marc Conant: ‘So many are just about managing to put food on the table.’

Photograph: Francesca Jones for the Guardian

SF Mayer, London Breed, telling a homeless man about Proposition C

An overarching theme from all articles was that “...we live in a system that makes it extremely difficult to get out of homelessness” (Misconception Archives). All sources attempted to explain the bureaucracy, reasoning, and facts of homelessness. Sources were also up to date regarding the why, what, how, and when of homelessness. Though the articles were informational in nature and revealed an overall understanding of homelessness, a majority left out the bigger picture - a call to action. Accurate facts were also difficult to find for specific groups of homeless people, such as the percentage of individuals without familial support. Perhaps with more inclusiveness within the research and the addition of call to action statements alongside information, the articles would have been able to offer the readers advice on how to begin to actively contribute to fixing the systemic issue that is homelessness.

Misconceptions Within the Media

Homelessness occurs all across the globe for several different reasons. Within San Francisco and Los Angeles however, homelessness seems to be a recognizable issue for non-homeless citizens that live their day to day life while shopping at outlets and taking public transit. In 2016, San Francisco aimed to pass the Proposition Q (removal of tents) due to needles being left out in public places that could potentially harm the people of San Francisco. With the widespread transmittable disease and conditions that can be obtained within public areas, cities within California aim to push the homeless population out of their community to areas across the United States. San Francisco also has Proposition C within the ballot for this upcoming election of 2018. If Proposition C passes, this would raise taxes on the city’s largest businesses to fund for homelessness services. Although those that support this proposition may have well intentions, the people within San Francisco should be informed of where exactly their money will go. Media reporting is great at sharing information but it fails at uniting people to help homeless people and does not continue to report on the current state of homelessness in a meaningful way.


Works Cited

Buist, Erica. “Homelessness: 'People Think It Can Never Happen to Them, but It Can, in the Blink of an Eye'.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 16 Dec. 2017, www.theguardian.com/society/2017/dec/16/homeless-in-2017-five-stories-can-happen-to-anyone

Fracassa, Dominic. “$29 Million Increase for San Francisco Homelessness Programs in Proposed Budget.” San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, 10 May 2018, www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/29-million-increase-for-San-Francisco-12902707.php#photo-15531742

Horvath, Mark. “My First Night Homeless: A True Story.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 7 Dec. 2017, www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-horvath/my-first-night-homeless_b_850145.html.

Outside The American Team. “Bussed out: How America Moves Thousands of Homeless People around the Country.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 20 Dec. 2017, www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2017/dec/20/bussed-out-america-moves-homeless-people-country-study.

Marsh, Sarah. “How I Became Homeless: Three People's Stories.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 15 Aug. 2017, www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/15/how-i-became-homeless-three-peoples-stories.

Marshall, Colin. “The Gentrification of Skid Row - a Story That Will Decide the Future of Los Angeles.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 5 Mar. 2015, www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/mar/05/gentrification-skid-row-los-angeles-homeless

Sabatini, Joshua. “Prop. Q Divides SF over How to Address Homelessness.” The San Francisco Examiner, 10 Oct. 2016, 1:00am, www.sfexaminer.com/prop-q-divides-sf-address-homelessness/

Staff, NCH. “Misconceptions Archives.” National Coalition for the Homeless, 8 July 2014, www.nationalhomeless.org/tag/misconceptions/

Times Editorial Board. “How Can a Place with 58,000 Homeless People Continue to Function?” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2018, 4:15 am, www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-homelessness-impact-on-others-20180301-htmlstory.html

Times Editorial Board. “The Homeless in L.A. Are Not Who You Think They Are.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2018, www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-economically-homeless-20180226-htmlstory.html.

Weise, Karen. “Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos Pledge $2 Billion for Homeless and Preschoolers.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 13 Sept. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/09/13/technology/jeff-and-mackenzie-bezos-pledge-2-billion-for-homeless-and-preschoolers.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FHomeless%2BPersons&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=collection

ADDITIONAL SOURCES

Davidson, John. “The Federalist.” A Division of Federalist Media, FDRLST, 2018, www.thefederalist.com/2018/04/11/san-franciscos-homeless-encampments-expose-failure-liberal-utopia/

Garfinkel, Perry. “From Homeless to Helping Others Get Off the Streets.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Aug. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/08/24/business/from-homeless-to-helping-others-get-off-the-streets.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FHomeless%2BPersons&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=collection.

HandUp. “9 Things You Didn't Know about Homelessness in San Francisco.” Medium, Medium, 28 June 2016, www.medium.com/@HandUp/9-things-you-didnt-know-about-homelessness-in-san-francisco-cdec97aa494a.

Kushel, Margot. “Why There Are So Many Unsheltered Homeless People on the West Coast.” KQED, 16 June 2018, www.kqed.org/news/11675156/why-there-are-so-many-unsheltered-homeless-people-on-the-west-coast.

National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2016, “State of Homelessness.” Homelessness by State,www.endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-report/

Sargent, J.F, and William Bonnie. “7 Things No One Tells You About Being Homeless.” Cracked.com, 12 Nov. 2013, www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-1246-7-things-no-one-tells-you-about-being-homeless.html.

Smith, Noah. “Homelessness Is a Tragidy the U.S Can Afford to Fix.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, 21 May 2018, www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-05-21/ending-homelessness-is-a-job-for-the-federal-government.

Zen, Kitty. “My Experience With Homelessness – ArtLifting Stories – Medium.” Medium, Medium, 7 July 2016, www.medium.com/artlifting-stories/my-experience-with-homelessness-a83ac655f6e4