Homelessness
Invisible People: Cameron
In this video, Mark Horvath interviews Cameron, a homeless man from Fort McMurry, Alberta (Canada), who speaks candidly about the vicious cycles of both homelessness and opiate addiction. This interview is the first in a series of interviews that Horvath conducts with people who are homeless across North America. Cameron’s interview focuses on his day-to-day struggle, the help that he would like to receive in order to get clean and off the street, and what he really wants in his life. Cameron uses some harsh language, so this video would be best for mature audiences. This video is available at http://invisiblepeople.tv/blog/, where you can find a variety of videos on homeless individuals. (00:08:55)
Brianna Karp’s Personal Story of Homelessness
This video features Karp, author of The Girl’s Guide to Homelessness, speaking about the abuse and financial misfortune she suffered that resulted in her living in an inherited RV in a Walmart parking lot. While she was homeless, Karp created the blog http://girlsguidetohomelessness.com/blog/, which details her experience. Karp briefly talks about a life of working and success before being laid off, which helps fight commonly held misconceptions about homelessness. (00:02:02)
Veterans and Homelessness
This video highlights both the tragedy of homelessness among U.S. veterans as well as the real possibility of making large-scale changes in society by shedding light on an issue that many people ignore. Mark Horvath and Shaun Donovan of Invisible People (a campaign to raise awareness about homelessness using personal stories disseminated by social media) speak about how the number of homeless veterans has been reduced through awareness campaigns and local and federal changes. This video would be useful in discussions about advocacy, policy changes, veteran’s affairs, and homelessness. This video is available at http://invisiblepeople.tv/blog/, where you can find a variety of videos on homeless individuals. (00:03:41)
U.S. Streets Full of Formerly Middle Class
This news report from RTAmerica in Los Angeles helps to dispel misconceptions about the homeless and reports how common it now is to see someone on the street who was once a member of the middle class. This video also focuses on police enforcement and the homeless, with the broadcaster explaining that homeless individuals often have trouble finding a place to sleep where they will not be targeted by police. The video is discouraging in many ways because it does not offer much hope or suggestions for helping the situation. A presenter might want to use this video as a precursor to a discussion about ideas for alleviating this growing issue. This 2011 news report is available on the RTAmerica YouTube channel for RT Los Angeles news. (00:03:34)
Being Homeless Soon a Crime in Miami?
This news report from RT in Miami discusses the “Quality of Life Laws” proposed by City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff. These laws would make being homeless, sleeping on a park bench, eating on sidewalks, or congregating in public spaces, illegal. The newscasters contrast this with the 1998 legal ruling wherein police officers were instructed to offer the homeless a place to stay at a local shelter rather than arrest them. Other topics include the changing demographic of the homeless, a discussion about the safety of homeless individuals, and the stigma of homelessness. This video is available on the RTAmerica YouTube channel and could be useful in discussions about homelessness, advocacy efforts, and law enforcement. (00:06:15)
Sources for more short videos on HOMELESSNESS