I have been living in a house in South Oakland for about a year, and I definitely consider myself a part of the community. As I walk to class in the morning or I leave to go out on the weekends, I am surrounded by other college students. The area seems to be full of students just like me, and before my internship this summer, I did not really stop to think about the other people that share this neighborhood. There are older adults living in houses on the same streets as us, and there are homeless individuals that we pass daily on campus.
In the past, I have seen the homeless people in Oakland and in Pittsburgh in general. I had never thought about their lives and how they became homeless or how they might be similar to me. I knew they were there, but I did not think much past that.
Over the summer, I had the opportunity to get to know several individuals in a homeless shelter and transitional housing program in Pittsburgh. The people I met were amazing, and I left in the afternoons feeling inspired and ready to take on the world. If they were able to get up each morning and move forward despite all of the barriers in their way, I could certainly make an impact and create positive change.
My experiences completely changed my opinion of homeless people and left me with a much more positive view of them. Most people I met did not choose to be homeless. They did not decide that one day they just wanted to give up everything they owned and live day to day not knowing where their next meal would be. There was a series of events that occurred that caused homelessness to be the only option.
I found that often the situations that led to homelessness were related to larger systematic issues such as policy changes, a small amount of low-income housing, a lack of mental health and other health care, and very few job resources for individuals who do not have an education. In the past, I thought that homelessness was self-imposed when really that is not always the story. Many of the people that I met were working really hard to change their situation and to create a better future. They wanted to have some of the things that I take for granted, such as stable housing, a consistent supply of food, and good health. While I admired their strength, I now see homeless individuals as regular people that are a part of the community just like you or I.
This exposure allowed me to be reintroduced to South Oakland and Pittsburgh, and now I see a different and more interesting place to live. This neighborhood is still home to a ton of college students, but it is also home to other people that I think add to, not detract from, the awesomeness of living in South O.
Photocred: Andy Whitman