Before Wednesday’s class, I would like you to reflect on two concepts: home and homelessness. What is a home? What does it mean to you to have a home? What makes having a home possible?
Similarly, reflect on what assumptions you have about homelessness. What do you think causes homelessness? What stereotypes are associated with being a person who is homeless? How do you feel about such stereotypes?
As you respond to these questions, please be as candid as you’re able to, but at the same time, please be as respectful as you can. Words can be powerful, so let’s use them carefully.
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To me a home is a place where you feel comfortable, where you can always go back to, where you are supported and where you always belong. I think that there is a lot of truth in the quote, “Home is where the heart is.” To me having a home is my sense of security. It allows me to venture away from home, to expand my horizons and know that no matter what I encounter I can always go back to home and find reassurance and security. Having a home has many different meanings for different people though. For many, just having a roof over their head means they have a home.
Homelessness is a concept that is much harder to define. I think that homelessness is caused by extreme poverty. For some people there comes a time when having a physical structure to call home is not economically feasible and other necessities seem more important. Sometimes it is not a matter of what is important, but merely, they cannot afford any material goods. I usually hear homeless people stereotyped as lazy people, drunks, and I even once heard them referred to as the “rats of society.” I believe that these stereotypes are exactly that, stereotypes. I think that there are many reasons that a person might end up without a home and instead of being demeaning to these people, society should extend a hand and help them.
In the movie "Garden State", Zach Braff defines "home" as an imaginary place that we all are trying to get back to. As a child, our home is just the place we live and where our family resides. Once we go to college, however, the houses that we used to live in may become just houses instead of our "home". We have this sense of "home" as a child and we when grow older we are constantly searching for a new place that we can call home and feel safe. Many young aspiring adults have a house, but they might not go back to it as a "home".
The idea of homelessness makes me feel pretty melancholy. But at the same time, I feel as though many of us wander around with a sense of homelessness. It is true that there are people out there that literally do not have a roof over their heads, but I think the idea of homelessness goes deeper than that. I feel like, quoting "Garden State" again, that many people are feeling homesick for a place that doesn't even exist. I think that there are two kinds of homelessness: not having a house to live in, and not having a place that you feel safe and secure.
Like the old cliché, I feel that a home is where the heart is. A home is different from a house because a house to me is the actually structure of the building and a home is what a person and/or family has transformed it into. A home is a place that is a safe haven of comfort, freedom, and independence. To have a home is to have that place where a person can sleep well at night and love being there even with all the flaws and imperfections. A home is that close friend that knows all your secrets but never shares them, is never changing, and adds stability to a person’s life.
Having a home is made possible by creating a place to fit the individual through care and thoughtfulness. I believe that a home can truly tell a lot about its residents by the pictures that are hung or even the paint colors that are chosen. If a person has a home, a person has a relationship with the place they live to where they make it their own. It is possible to have a home by hard work and dedication, like many other things in life. I feel that a person’s home is a reflection of their personality and is a prized possession that many people are proud of.
I am not sure there is one thing that causes homelessness; instead I believe that it is a process of misfortunate events. I think if we were to ask a homeless person how they became homeless they would not be able to define one moment as the reason why they are homeless but would be able to provide details on the events that led to them eventually becoming homeless. There are very negative stereotypes associated with the homeless, such as them all being drug addicts, alcoholics, and lazy. These stereotypes do not accurately portray all homeless people, even though there are some that are struggling with drug and alcohol issues, it is unfair to say that all homeless people are. I think that these stereotypes make it difficult for homeless people to turn their lives around because when society views them one way, it is hard for them to change and want to be different.
I believe that a home is any place where you feel safe and comfortable and are surrounded by those you love and care for. In addition, having a home means having a place to sleep, a place to keep warm, and a place to call your own. Home is where you go to recharge yourself when the outside world gets too much to handle. I go home when I need a break from school, and I need to be in a place that comforts and relaxes me. Several factors contribute to being able to have a home. One of which is obviously money and good credit, so that if you are buying a house or an apartment and need a loan from the bank, they are able to approve you for one. Also, in order to have the monetary means to pay for a house or any other kind of home, it is necessary to have a job, so that you are able to make payments on your house, and pay for utilities and such. So for those that do not have a job it makes it extremely difficult to have house or an apartment.
The concept of being homeless is something I don’t think anyone can truly understand unless they have experienced it firsthand. That being said, I believe homelessness can be caused by several things. For example, if the economy suffers, it becomes harder for people who are unemployed to get a job, which could begin a downward spiral, eventually leading to homelessness. Also, I believe that a lot of the mentally ill are homeless as a result of proper facilities and care not being provided for them, and also as a result of them not being able to care for themselves. Homelessness can be caused by any number of things but I usually just see someone really down on their luck, I don’t usually assume that they are mentally ill or a drug addict or an alcoholic (a common stereotype of the homeless). I do however usually assume that they do not have job. Another stereotype associated with homeless people is that their homelessness is their own fault. When I really stop to think about this I find it to be an unfair assumption. I feel that a lot of times homelessness is caused by circumstances beyond that person’s control. I don’t think anyone really chooses to be homeless. Maybe if we are to “fix” homelessness we must change the way we view those that are homeless, which may involve re-educating the general public about the causes of homelessness.
I would say the concept of a house,a residence, and a home are, by connotation, completely different. A house might be a place to sleep where you have a roof over your head and your basic needs are met but a home is somewhere you feel comfortable in residing. A home is a place where you feel loved and cared for, even if it means you are caring for yourself or even caring for others. A home has somewhat of a different sense of security than a house.
Homelessness goes much deeper than just not having a roof to sleep under, in fact it can be that people do sleep under a roof, in a house, but are indeed homeless. Some cases include living for an extended period with friends or family, staying at motels or hostels, living illegally or being a squatter, or just living in an environment that does not meet basic living requirements. To me, what causes homelessness is more abstract than the concepts of homelessness itself. Although oftentimes it is a result of extreme poverty and circumstance, I believe the causes vary immensely and differ from person to person. Laziness can be a stereotype but sometimes proves to be true. I firmly believe in the concept of the "American Dream" and its attainability through perseverance and effort; however, I do not assume that every single human has the same opportunity as another and oftentimes those with extenuating circumstances fall to the bottom of the heap. Again, causes are less concrete and definable which makes homelessness very difficult to eradicate which is why I find the Mayors project to eliminate homelessness, and Project Homeless Connect, so intriguing.
When I think of home, I think of a place where you are loved for who you are and where the people you love are. Home should be place where you can go to have a refuge from what life may throw at you. It can be the place where your parents live and where you grew up, and it can be a place that you have created by yourself, whether it’s your dorm room or your first apartment. Wherever it may be, home should be a place where you can be relaxed, feel comfortable, and a place where you can be yourself.
Homelessness can be caused by a variety of things. They might have been fired from a job, and haven’t been able to get another job, with the economy suffering as it is and how tight job offerings are. Another reason could be that they lost their home in a natural disaster and have nowhere to go. A stereotype I’ve heard is that homeless people are just lazy. I think that people believe that the homeless start adapting to the lifestyle that they have been put into, and don’t try anymore to get out of it, because sometimes, not having any responsibilities can be so compelling. Along with that, another stereotype is that people with addictions end up on the streets because of how they have become so reliant on alcohol or drugs that that’s all they spend their money on. I don’t agree with these stereotypes, but because I have never had the experience of being homeless, I cannot really say what is true and what isn’t.
For me, a home is a place of comfort and safety and a place that allows one to feel belonged. To fully understand how important a home is, one must look at it in a differing manner, considering what it feels like to be without a home. With no place to come to after a hard day, no place to feel safe and secure, and no place to feel familiar and loved, it is difficult to enjoy life. A home provides all these things and is a foundation to a positive outlook in the life. A home gives one clarity.
A home is possible not with money, but with a family and with love. Money can purchase the most beautiful house, but it is the experiences, the memories, the emotions, and the people that change it from being a house to a home. While it is common to think that if you do not have money you are homeless, one who is rich can also be without a home.
I have grown up seeing homeless people on the streets, wondering why they do not get a job or why they do not move in with family. The homeless are usually looked at as being dirty, disrespectful, and they often have drug or alcohol addictions. These stereotypes follow the homeless around and often stop people from being sympathetic toward them. I feel that these stereotypes almost dictate not only how a homeless person is perceived, but also how they behave. It is easy to look at someone and group them with a stereotype, and often people do this. Others fail to look at homeless people as individuals with their own stories. In turn, homeless people find it hard to escape these stereotypes and allow their lives to slowly form into what society expects of them. I feel stereotypes are often hard to overlook, but it is up to each person to look past these. Each homeless person has a story and a reason why they do not have a home and it is important for others to leave all stereotypes behind to fully understand their situation.
I think that the word “home” is much more than just a physical structure. A home is a place that you can go to express your core self; somewhere that you identify with yourself that helps define the kind of person that you are. When I think of going “home”, I don’t bring up a picture of my house in my mind; I think of my family sitting at the dinner table, or my friends sitting by a bonfire. It is that place that I know I can always go back to and will feel perfectly comfortable and one hundred percent in my comfort zone. In order to have a home, however, someone must have a certain place that they feel the most comfortable. I think that it is hard for some people to define a home because they have moved so many times, or maybe something really awful happened at the place they once called “home” that makes it a place they no longer want to go. A home does not have to be the place you live, home is, as they say, “where the heart is”.
Homelessness, on the other hand, is a much more difficult issue. When most people think of homelessness, they either feel pity or disdain. However, when I recently went on a trip to Africa, my whole conception about homelessness changed. I saw extreme poverty that put the whole idea of homelessness on a different level for me. While they had “houses”, which were literally a few pieces of wood with plastic bags for a roof, I still considered these people homeless. They had no sufficient place to live or to be comfortable or happy. While homelessness to a lot of people means simply that they have no place to live, I think that homelessness can also mean that a person doesn’t have anywhere to call home. As I mentioned before, some people have had events in their life that makes it hard for them to find a place to call home. There are a lot of stereotypes about homeless people; that they are dirty, insufficient, even “worthless” to a lot of people, I think that homelessness can mean a lot of different things to a variety of different people. In Africa, homeless people in the United States would probably be among the wealthiest. To many Americans, homelessness is those people that can’t afford to have their own place to live, however, America has laws that protect homeless people from starving, and provides them with the means to survive. I think that people should not associate homeless people with certain stereotypes if they haven’t experienced “homelessness” on any level at all, because in my opinion, homelessness means much more than simply not having a place to live.
Though it is possible to conceive a definition of the inanimate word “home,” I find it difficult to define the meaning of home on a general scale; rather it is a personal conclusion. For me, home is an emotionally charged word that combines personal feeling and memory into a very specific image. Personally, I have never been without a place to live and thus my definition of home, my feelings and memories, are all based within a stable structure made of brick and wood. Home to me is more than just a compilation of memories and materials, it is a place where there is a constant support system made of people who love and care for you. However, in order to have these things that I require for my definition of home, some sum of money is necessary. Unfortunately this requirement leads to hardships for many.
For these people, the luxury of having a home made of materials and the support system that is so important to me is not viable. In my opinion homelessness is unavoidable, whether it is caused by financial difficulties or personal problems. Unfortunately some people are under the impression that the homeless are homeless by choice and are miscreants whose mission in life it is to litter park benches and street corners. Many believe that the people they see living on the street are merely too lazy to get a job. I believe that these stereotypes are caused by ignorance; people do not understand how easy it is to become homeless and how difficult it is to regain that sense of home.
I believe that the people who have solid homes and people who live in them to care for one another have negative ideas about the homeless because they think that because they have a home they will never become homeless. The reality however, is that most people are just a few paychecks away from being homeless themselves. Perhaps people would feel differently toward the homeless if they realized the man sleeping on the park bench is not so different then they themselves.
There is definitely a significant difference between having a home and being homeless. It separates those who live above and below the poverty line. It also defines someone who lives under certain living conditions and whether or not their life will be a success or turn into utter failure. To me, having a home is something that I am very fortunate to have. There are many people in this world who don’t even have a permanent place to live in and often scavenge their way to finding a descent place to stay.
In order to live in such a warm, comfortable and safe environment, my family has worked very hard over the years and was able to make such a living. Many people in this world don’t have nearly the opportunity that I have and have struggled with being homeless for various reasons. These people have battled with such issues because of alcoholism, legal troubles, laziness, drugs, financial crises or many other incentives. People who are successful tend to be motivated and are usually able to overcome such problems and other challenges that they are faced with.
I take a very 'American' view of homelessness. Especially when I am referring to the homeless in America. I haven’t spent an enormous amount of time among the homeless, but I have lived in the city for a long time. I, like many of you, get their view of what they conceptualize homelessness to be based on our first hand interactions with 'the homeless'. I have what I like to call "Broadway and Colfax Experience." I have ridden the 15, I take the 0 everyday. I have an aspiring social life which necessitates my considerable time 'out'. From my experience I can associate one major attribute/characteristic to the homeless of Denver.
It seems that the one skill most lacking is people skills. Communication falls under this vague heading as well, but whether it comes from many years of alcohol/drug use or just a bad personality there is no denying the fact remains.
I am not one who attributes 'homelessness' to the folly in democratic societies and how they deal with the less fortunate communities/families. But I am a middle class white male, so that might have something to do with that.
But I feel that it is simply lack of motivation that keeps these people where they are today. I know that children and disabilities play a role in their inability to ‘get ahead’, but for the most part they simply find it more pleasing to live on the generosity of others and the accommodations made by the state.
A home is the place where you feel most comfortable in the world--physically and emotionally. When you are in lost, or scared, or stressed, home is where you want to be. A home is where someone can feel free to be themselves--they can wear their ugliest robes, listen to their guiltiest of pleasure music, and have Disney movie marathons--because they know that that is the one place they will always belong.
I am grateful to have a home, especially one that meets all of my needs. Living in-state, it is such a comfort knowing that if I ever become ill, or if the stresses of college life become too great to deal with, serenity is just a thirty minute bus ride away. As the year progresses, that trip becomes increasingly rare, but the possibility of it remains a comfort for me.
I think homelessness results from a person giving up and losing faith in themselves. This can be caused by inside sources--such as depression, or outside sources--such as a lack of safety net. Unfortunately, people have a hard time seeing past a homeless person’s appearance, which makes them very hard to relate to. They are assumed to be lazy, drunk, and unintelligent. I feel bad about these stereotypes, but I think they stem from the fact that most people have very little interaction with the homeless, and therefore have no personal experience off of which they can base their opinions. That does not justify the bias, but it does help to explain it.
A home is a place that i can go and feel welcome all the time, regardless of the situation. Home treats me well and protects me from the dangers outside. Having a home provides me with sense of security and comfort. Hard and honest work make this possible to own a home. By earning it yourself makes the home feel more personal and rewarding to live in.
I think nothing causes homelessness, i think that things lead up to it. Some things that lead up to it are drug/alcohol addiction, bankruptcy, mental dissorders and many other unfortionate circumstances. I think that the stereo types associated with homelessness are that the ones without homes are lazy and drug addicts. People probably just assume that all of the people without homes are to lazy to find work. I feel that most of the stereo types are in correct, but sometimes they are accurate. I think that there are opportunities for homeless people to earn money, such as selling small newspapers, so when i see them just sitting around, i feel that they are wasting a opporunity to make money, regardless of how little it may be.
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