Despite being commonly ignored, and looked down upon, the homeless people we see in our local towns often face many hardships and struggles on a day to day basis.
One formerly homeless person, who would prefer to remain anonymous, suggested that he felt "dehumanised by the general public, and disregarded."
"It's like life is unwilling to give us a second chance," he continues. "We don't even have the opportunities to tell our stories, and we're automatically stereotyped as uneducated drug addicts."
The stereotypes surrounding the homeless often surround the idea that homelessness is easily prevented, and is a lazy choice rather than the product of extremely difficult circumstances.
"We get stuck in an endless cycle of not being able to buy a house due to not having a job, but not being able to get a job as of the lack of a permanent address."
One of the main factors contributing to homelessness is the affordable housing crisis, as well as eviction, meaning that this vicious cycle is often inevitable in these circumstances. Once this cycle is entered, it is extremely difficult to escape it, which is often ignored when judging the homeless. Especially in the current climate, both literally and in terms of the pandemic, it is important to consider the impact on the homeless. Staggering rates of unemployment and financial strain, coupled with the winter and the scare of the pandemic cause homelessness to be especially difficult in these times.
"Although I did appreciate people donating to us, or indirectly, for example to food banks, it was still very difficult, in my case, to live off of these donations," he suggested. "I struggled for very very long before being able to sustain myself independently. I could only imagine what the homeless are facing now, during these unprecedented times."
As we face a worldwide pandemic, it is important to consider those who do not have daily shelter, food, or access to healthcare, which makes them especially vulnerable .
So, next time you see a homeless person, be sure to talk to them and even better, donate to them, even if it is a fairly inexpensive donation, such as a mask, some food, or even spare change.
