Lazy, Crazy Addicts? Homeless People Challenge Stereotypes

This video starts with some shocking statistics: that 1 in 3 people in the United States are just a few paychecks away from homelessness, that over 3.5 million will experience homelessness this year- and saddest of all, that 1.6 of these will be children.

The #100stories project hopes to collect stories of some of these people, to humanize an issue which is often only talked about in terms of numbers. By telling the world who these people are and what their hopes are for the future, the aim is to personalize the problem and also highlight the catch-22 situation many homeless people are in- you can´t get a room without a job for example, and vice-versa.

As project founders Erika and Kevin write on their website:

“Crazies.” “Addicts.” “Lazy pieces of ****.” Homeless people don’t have a great reputation in our society — they’re almost always defined by what they lack. That’s outrageous. We believe everyone deserves to tell their own story in an honest way. So we are going to travel across the US with a trunk full of wearable cameras…And we’re inviting you to connect with your homeless neighbors and help capture footage in your area, alongside our local partners.”

Hopefully by documenting these stories, attitudes and myths surrounding homelessness will start to change. If you want to get involved or support the #100stories crowd-funded project click here.

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