Homelessness is a crisis we all want to overcome – for our unhoused neighbors, for our city, for ourselves, for our children and their children. After spending a few months on the streets producing an 8-part series of short films exploring solutions to homelessness, SF-style, this is what I learned.
Sleep – You know what going without it for a night feels like. But the cumulative effect is torture. People need a safe place to sleep to protect their mental and physical health.
Showers – There are fewer than 10 public showe
A closer look – Laziness is rarely what lands people on the street, rather it’s usually a significant traumatic event like the loss of a job, health, a child, a parent, a safe home or a safety net.
A simple hello – Few can imagine what it’s like to be routinely ignored by almost everyone.
A long term view – People who have fallen so hard may need several chances to get on a path to fulfill their potential as human beings.
Secondary services – Counseling, work experience, child care and other services alongside housing give people the best chance of getting off the street.
A home within – That inner place of peace is just as important as the physical houses.
Your employer’s taxes – When profitable companies use loopholes, they count on the poor to foot the bill of our government expenses.
Your vote for affordable housing – There are simply not enough places for people to live here. End of story.
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Let’s Get Street Smart is an 8-part series of 3-minute-short films that explore ways out of the homelessness crisis, SF style. To watch the films go to Let’sGetStreetSmart.com
#SFHomelessProject