Invisible People

The 'sweep-to-shelter' tactic in California isn't solving the homelessness issue - it might be making it worse! Let's shift our focus to improved services and affordable housing. Find out why penal actions are not the solution and how we can change this. 👇…

Homeless After 22 Years in Prison: Robert’s Fight to Survive on the Streets of Atlanta https://lnkd.in/gP8J8MNP Robert is a 67-year-old man who spent 22 years in prison and now faces a new kind of punishment: homelessness. After being released from prison with no support or resources, Robert has been living on the streets of Atlanta for over five years. "I did the time society asked me to do, but now I’m homeless at 67,” Robert explains, highlighting the harsh reality that many formerly incarcerated individuals face. Despite his efforts to rebuild his life, finding work has been nearly impossible. Ageism and his criminal record keep employers from giving him a chance. "Nobody’s going to hire me at 67," he says. Even when he got hired at a Waffle House, a background check revealed his past, and the job was taken away before he even started. Robert does what he can to survive, including cutting grass and flying a sign—panhandling—a task he describes as "degrading, but I have to survive." Robert’s story isn’t unique. Thousands of people like him are released from prison only to end up homeless. With no safety net or housing options, many return to crime, feeding a vicious cycle of recidivism that’s costly for everyone. As Robert says, "So many people get out of prison and have nowhere to go." By failing to support people after incarceration, the system sets them up for failure, perpetuating homelessness and crime. This story sheds light on a broken criminal justice system that doesn’t end when time is served. Reforming this system to ensure that individuals like Robert don’t end up on the streets is not just a moral imperative, but a practical one. Studies show that providing housing and support services is far more cost-effective than allowing people to fall into homelessness and possibly return to prison. Solving homelessness benefits everyone—by creating safer, more stable communities and reducing the burden on public services. As Robert reflects on his life, he wishes for things many of us take for granted: "I wish I’d never sold drugs. I wish I had a place to live. I wish I could get a job." His experience is a powerful reminder that homelessness is not a choice—it’s a systemic failure. To prevent and solve homelessness, we must ensure that no one is left to fend for themselves after incarceration. Let’s work together to reform the criminal justice system and create a future where everyone has a safe place to call home.

Two homeless encampments were recently dismantled in Martha's Vineyard, leaving residents devastated as their belongings—including identification, medication, and clothing—were taken: https://lnkd.in/eFxsNP2A

One of the most impactful things we do is facilitate this online support group for homeless and formerly homeless people. https://lnkd.in/dpU3MAf. I’m still puzzled as to why more homeless NGOs don’t offer online access to services for people to connect and find support. One day, I’d love to bring our monitors to a conference to share how we’ve built and maintained such a healthy, supportive community.

Randy is a homeless veteran living in a tent near Columbus, Ohio. He keeps trying to work with the Department of Veteran Affairs, but they informed him that he is not "homeless enough".

When a Chicago family’s mortgage skyrocketed overnight, they faced foreclosure—but their fight isn’t over. Discover how Christiana Powell and her community have resisted eviction for years, standing up against big banks and developers to defend their home: https://lnkd.in/gVKGss58

THIS WEEK, the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival in Atlanta, running from September 17th to 20th, will feature three of our films: Where Do They Go? The Painful Reality of Seattle's RV Homeless Sweeps, A Single Mother's Struggle to Survive the Housing Crisis – Eviction, a Social Impact Film, and How Finland Solved Homelessness: It’s More Than Housing First. I'm in Atlanta for #ONA24 and will do my best to attend screenings. You can explore the full film guide here: https://lnkd.in/gK589Wwk and the screening schedule here: https://lnkd.in/gKHXdVHT

More than 8 million households pay more than half of their limited income on rent leaving them little to make ends meet. We must demand more affordable housing from our leadership - contact your representatives today: https://lnkd.in/dmcpgVA

I wanted to not only share my personal perspective on what it's like day to day to be unhoused, but also provide guidance to the many journalists who cover it. I hope this helps bring us closer together!

This is a powerful, must-watch or listen-to story, and journalism is just one piece of it. https://lnkd.in/grnTg-Hm Unfortunately, much of the training provided to journalists covering homelessness fails to address the importance of treating homeless individuals with respect and dignity. That should be the first conversation. People should always come before the story. YouTube Podcast https://bit.ly/4bHgCEu Apple Podcast https://apple.co/4cckQ86 Spotify https://spoti.fi/3XyM98c Amazon Music https://amzn.to/3zbPu39 iHeartRadio https://bit.ly/4cciTZy