Image: via Regeneration Outreach Community
According to research from Charles Schwab, an estimated 59% of Americans are one paycheck away from housing insecurity. Though this statistic proves that a majority of Americans are unable to keep up with the fast-paced capitalistic central environment that engulfs most Americans, many don’t realize this issue directly affects them. In the United States, homelessness has been an increasingly alarming issue that affects all citizens interpersonally. Many believe that if they have a steady income and are financially wise, they can curb the risk of homelessness, but this isn’t the case. The United States’ issues with financial insecurity are prominent in all aspects of daily life, with most citizens being one layoff away from their entire lives changing. With Americans’ lives being centered around the need to constantly make more, do more and be more, the United States has essentially created an infallible rat race that their citizens are losing every day.
The inability to recognize mass financial insecurity has also unfortunately been paired with the villainization of the homeless population. Many fall into the trap of believing the stigma that homeless people are inherently drug addicts, dirty, lazy, inadequate and incapable of keeping up with the American lifestyle. These beliefs are non-issues that are creating a pivotal divide between two groups of people that are both unknowingly in the same boat. The main issues that stem from mass homelessness in the United States are not only the average wage that Americans receive, but also the housing costs that have been rapidly increasing since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to NPR, housing prices have surged 47% since the start of the pandemic and have shown no signs of decreasing anytime soon. In nearly half of all metropolitan areas, it is estimated that a person must make at least $100,000 to comfortably afford a median-income home. As of 2022, the average income of Americans is barely exceeding $35,000. This egregious gap is crucial to understanding the intersectionality between housing insecurity, financial insecurity, capitalism and homelessness.
It’s imperative that the working class recognizes the intricate villainization and criminalization of the homeless population and bring awareness to their needs that have consistently gone unmet. Things such as anti-homeless architecture, over-policing and other exclusionary practices have been implemented to ensure that homeless people have a harder time reaching the high bar of the American lifestyle compared to their housed counterparts. The stigma that homeless people are dirty directly correlates to their lack of access to public bathrooms, with many corporations refusing to allow homeless people into their establishment. The belief that homeless people are “scammers” undermines the seemingly impossible wage standard that Americans are expected to reach to achieve a comfortable lifestyle. The problems that we place blame on the homeless are instead a direct pipeline to deeply rooted capitalist structures that the United States is built upon.
Many also negate the past of homeless people. Most of these people were just like you at some point. Some are college-educated, some were homeowners, many were veterans and many also had secure jobs. Uncontrollable and unfortunate predicaments are what have landed them where they are now, not their inadequacy. These are people who have families, children, lives and dreams that are now being ignored because of their housing status. Recognizing and humanizing the homeless is a key part of the de-stigmatization process that many Americans need to undergo.
The divide between homeowners, renters and the homeless is unfortunately an intentional means of creating a divide between the American people. By villainizing a class that is seemingly lower and less-than, homelessness can thrive. It is imperative that the American people realize the privilege that exudes from these mindsets and remove themselves from the “Us Vs. Them” mindset. The homeless population is not the problem; they are unfortunate victims to a system that is against most underprivileged Americans. By recognizing these issues and making stronger attempts to help the homeless population rather than crucify them, Americans can fight against a system that isn’t built for any of them.
Jazmyne Morgan is a Third year Political Science Major