The Dire Straits of Homelessness: Dramatic Echoes and Creative Propositions From the Field

Abstract

This ethnographic study draws on the realities, survival strategies, and needs of a group of homeless people living in South Florida. Fifty-six individuals (mean age = 51 years; age range = 21–76 years) of various racial backgrounds responded to a semistructured narrative interview. Two thirds of respondents encountered substance abuse challenges and experienced chronic homelessness, one third worked, and three fifths were arrested at least once. Thematic narrative analyses revealed that substance abuse, unemployment, a low-paying job, and a relationship breakup were the most prevalent causes of homelessness. The greatest difficulties reported concerned sleeping patterns, police harassment and brutality, dehumanization, and hunger. Survival strategies incorporated hiding from police, attending local food drives, soliciting food from local fast food places, and begging. Support came predominantly from the church, family members, and friends. Relief desired embodied broader employment opportunities, close-by food drives and shelters, a designated area to sleep precluding police harassment, better wages, and less discrimination by society. Implications of the findings and future research needs are inspected.

Keywords:

• Homelessness
• etiology
• coping
• challenges
• solutions

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The author thanks all the respondents who so graciously donated their time to this study; may God bless you!