Blame Falls on Us
By Uliyaah
We often mistake symptoms for the disease and by doing so simplify the blame onto the individuals who exhibit the symptoms, while the disease continues to spread.
The author's experience they describe in "Falling Through the Cracks" makes this painfully clear. Instead of addressing the root cause of homelessness, the law instead tries to hide it and lets it fester in the forgotten corners of the city. Even the genuine attempts to help those who are homeless through programs and homeless shelters often feels half-hearted and does not consider the whole experience of the person who has found themselves in this situation.
These genuine attempts are now used as attacks on those who seem like they don't take advantage of them. Law enforcement gives out citations to people sleeping on the street, because they can easily sleep in a homeless shelter, not taking into account how most of them have an extremely long waitlist because of how underfunded they are. Or the fact that there is a higher possibility of conflict and abuse when there's a high concentration of people, in such a space, especially for homeless women and children.
Despite this, we often act like solving homelessness is an easy problem, but it's not.
Homelessness at its core is the symptom of an unfair and unstable society and treating it means taking back power and resources from those who feed off of our struggles, which feels like an impossible task. However, as the author of the essay discusses, building a community to support one another is one step to gaining back power from those who try to divide us.
In recognizing the complexity of homelessness and its ties to societal inequalities, the call to build a supportive community becomes even more important. It's a rallying cry to unite against the forces that perpetuate division and marginalization. As we acknowledge the root causes and demand systemic change, building communities that foster understanding, empathy, and mutual support emerges as a powerful way to reclaim agency and address the pervasive issue of homelessness.
In forging these connections, we not only challenge the status quo but also create a foundation for a more equitable and compassionate society, where the shared burden of struggles becomes a catalyst for collective empowerment.