Those Around
- eruano2
- Oct 22, 2023
- 2 min read
California Governor Gavin Newsom is making great strides towards bettering the homeless epidemic that has plagued the state for decades. As Governor, his plans will implement the creation for thousands of tiny homes across California to be given to the homeless
population. In addressing his passion for the issue he announced, “As a state, we are failing to meet the urgency of this moment. Collectively, these plans set a goal to reduce street homelessness 2% statewide by 2024. At this pace, it would take decades to significantly curb homelessness in California – this approach is simply unacceptable. Everyone has to do better – cities, counties, and the state included. We are all in this together” (www.gov.ca.go). While his passion for the issue is admirable, it made me reflect my own perspectives towards the concept of homelessness.
Immediately, my reflection was internalized. What is my own perception towards homelessness? With the majority of my childhood grained in the streets of southside Chicago, the concept is not something I'm new to. As a kid, I remember being so curious about homeless people. When walking to get ice cream with my Aunt and cousin, I wondered about their identities, their lives, their stories, how it all led them to where they are. While this seems pointless and possibly problematic, they were part of my experience growing up with exposure to a low-income area of the city. While the idea of being curious about homeless people may feel uncomfortable, I feel that my curiosity humanized them.
As a young adult living in Los Angeles, this aspect of humanization towards the homeless has been lost. Everywhere I look, people are actively choosing to treat the homeless like animals, or ignoring them as if they don't exist at all. It's clear that there is often a negative bias held towards the homeless. During a night out with someone I used to consider a friend, we came across a seemingly homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk. I remember my once friend saying “I hope it doesn’t need mouth-to-mouth, cause it won't be me giving it”. He feared the possibility of getting a disease, seeing the person as a rabid animal contracting and spreading illness among the street. This was eye opening for me. I was disgusted by his answer. How can one person treat another person like that? It was a heavy distinction between those who are in a place or privilege, and those who are suffering.
In my eyes, as an American society our treatment towards the homeless is inexplicable. We need to be providing more aid to those in need. There is no reason to see a homeless person for anything less than they are: human. Steering away from the political mumbo-jumbo, Governor Newsom is making a humane effort to better the lives of those around him. There needs to be more people in power working in similar ways.
\
I also wrote a blog post about the unhoused population, in response to 3 murders this past week. I think you are spot on when you talk about how some people dehumanize the homeless population, making their situation even harder than it already was. I hope that LA will provide additional security for the unhoused population in reaction to these latest horrific events.
I never understood why people would dehumanize the unhoused. It's almost as if it's a celebration of those who are without a shelter and a career, as if these things make someone human rather than just innately being one. I think of the systems in place that are there to keep them there–unhoused vets being used by the US government and tossed to the street, and corporate businesses that indirectly contribute to the problem. I would just love for everyone to have a little more understanding when it comes to situations they don't really know about.
I also strongly agree with you that the issue regarding homelessness needs to be addressed. It has become such a problem in our society, and although I don't keep up with governmental actions, per se, I am glad to here that there are steps taken to improve these measures. Honestly, even a cup of hot tea in this cold weather could be such a big comfort for someone who doesn't have a home or family to go to for the holidays.
Governor Newsom's plan for tackling homelessness with tiny homes is a step in the right direction. It's refreshing to see someone in power taking concrete action. Your experiences in Chicago and LA really highlight how differently people can perceive the homeless. It's sad how some folks dehumanize them, instead of seeing them as individuals with their own stories. It's important to remember that they're just people who've hit a rough patch. I think more empathy and understanding, along with practical solutions like Newsom's, could really make a difference in how we address homelessness. It's about seeing the humanity in everyone, regardless of their situation.
Moving to LA and having more prolonged exposure to a larger unhoused population was thought provoking, and I appreciate that you addressed this topic in your piece. The abundance of unhoused people in LA seems to make it easier for some people to dehumanize them, since it can perhaps feel easier to ignore a collective group than to interact with it. This issue seems to be enhanced by the wealth gap in LA, where these two extremes live side by side. Seeing Governor Newsom declare that he will work to make this change seems like a step in the right direction, because it is vital for the government to be involved in improving LA's quality of life.