Living in Portland, Oregon you become desensitized to the homeless because of its prevalence. You stop wondering about the individuals on the streets and their stories and assume their homelessness was a product of mental illness or addiction–you accept the master narrative regarding homelessness in America.

But this week in class the stereotypical narrative surrounding homelessness in America was disrupted. We heard the stories of the homeless, discussed the harsh realities of homelessness, and the systemic forces that “trap” the hungry, homeless, and near homeless in America.  The website “Invisible People” contains interviews with the homeless community and gives them a platform to tell their story. After listening to their stories it is clear that there is no one same experience and the master narrative of the “mentally ill addict” stereotype does not stand true. In fact, it is a stereotype that blames the individual rather than the true culprit–the American class system.

While the cost of living is increasing at an exponential rate and minimum wage is no where near living wage, the American welfare state has retreated. In “A Tattered Safety Net: Social Policy and American Inequality” Colin Gordon explains how social policy exists to cushion the impact of the market and social inequality by securing the incomes of workers and providing support for those who cannot work. Historically the aggressive implementation of public social programs make a huge impact on poverty rates. In the 2012 recession social programs kept roughly 41 million Americans out of poverty, explains Gordon. Unfortunately our welfare state is poorly targeted and leaves low low income families and the childless extremely vulnerable to the impact of the American economy and class system.

This week we dismantled the master narrative surrounding the homeless community. Not only did I learn about individuals stories, the harsh realities of the hungry, homeless, and near homeless, but also the systemic forces in place that “trap” them poverty.