I went for a walk around the block with my friend who was visiting from out of State. “Wow, I haven’t seen a single homeless person in your neighborhood,” she said. “Do you ever see homeless people?” she asked. I might’ve stuttered in my response because my definition of homeless had recently been updated.
The question took me back to past years, circumstances, and people. I have known people who would probably not be considered “homeless” under US aid programs, but who have been homeless nonetheless. So, while I understood she was referring to the street-living kind of homeless, I could not say without stumbling that I barely saw homeless people, when I walked among them. Myself included.
Well, up until that year, I had been struggling with finding a suitable place to live. I moved around a whole darn lot; went back to my mom’s place several times, crashed at friends’ homes, rented a lot of Airbnb’s, booked hotels…you name it. For half of that year, I didn’t even know it or refused to admit it, but I was, in fact…homeless. So what exactly is considered a homeless person?
Apparently, the federal government considers a person or a family “homeless” when they lack a fixed, regular, or a nighttime residence, and they live in temporary accommodations. Do you have any idea how many people in this and other countries live under these conditions? I don’t have the statistics, but it’s more than we think. With the cost of living, the typical sudden termination of relationships, and other common issues, a lot of people are left with nowhere to go.
In my case, I didn’t need to go to a food bank, a shelter or, thankfully, live in the streets like so many people because I have families and friends who care. I’m so lucky. But the self-awareness, the stress, and the emotional toll can make you feel just as awfully homeless. Again, I count my blessings still.
There’s a lot of stigma surrounding this topic, though. Homelessness is usually associated with joblessness, drug abuse, and “mentally unstable” people, but that is not always the case. Actually, a lot of times, one of these lead to another; hence, the relationship. But there are just too many unknown reasons for people to go on without a permanent home for a long time. So, next time you see someone living on the street, remember that you don’t know the back story; choose to be kind. And, next time you assume there are no homeless people in a city, remember that they might be living among you, just not in the open. So be mindful.
By the way, it’s Miami, I reminded my friend; of course there are way too many homeless people in this city, too.