STIGMATIZATION | HOMELESSNESS | SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION
We live in a world of greed and injustice, of selfishness and cruelty. A world where money is power and capitalism is inescapable, where economic stability is dominance and classism is universal. We live in a world where the “top 1% of U.S. households hold 15 times more wealth than the bottom 50% combined” (Beer). Grasping the reality of such a stark statistic means understanding who comprises these two distinct categories as well as what ‘bottom’ living usually looks like.
Homelessness. A concept that should ideally lack validity, serves as an immense burden on communities worldwide and leaves numerous individuals inadequately resourced. Consistently and to this day, a plethora of marginalized communities are facing immeasurable difficulties in terms of accessing affordable housing, notably, “Indigenous, Black, and racialized peoples, those experiencing intimate-partner violence, youth, refugees, seniors, people with disabilities, and individuals identifying as 2SLGBTQ” (United Way).
So, how come certain populations face a greater risk than others? All roads lead back to stigmatization. According to the Oxford Languages Dictionary, stigmatization is characterized as “the action of describing or regarding someone or something as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval” (“Stigmatization”). Disgrace or great disapproval.
For centuries our world systems and institutions have followed a narrowly defined delineation of the ideal, superior and dominant identity, ultimately positioning all else as deviant, dirty and inferior. As a result of the history of structural discrimination, systemic oppression, overt violence and mass genocide of ‘deviant’ identities, marginalized communities face systemic barriers placing them at an increased risk of experiencing homelessness the moment they enter this world, regardless of intelligence or capability. This has thus created an atmosphere in which our culture is infused with stigmatization towards both diverse identities and the homeless, born from a place of ignorance as opposed to an understanding of the impacts of institutional oppression. This allows for inaccurate stereotypes to continuously determine how an individual is perceived and treated in public spaces. Ultimately, the matter of homelessness is so much more complex than meets the eye. It is deeply rooted in the systemic oppression of specific identities.
In our society, these specific identities are oftentimes socially stigmatized on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, health conditions, disabilities or mental health illnesses (Caddell), characteristics uncontrollable to an individual themself. If we take a moment to consider the stigma associated with existing as a minority among any of the aforementioned factors, we are struck with the reality that classifying an individual as worthy of disgrace sets a framework for increased social isolation and lessened self-worth which, if embraced, may lead to concerns such as substance abuse and addiction, both factors commonly associated with homelessness. This allows us to develop a better understanding that homelessness and poverty are not innate qualities possessed by “lazy” (United Parenting & Counseling) marginalized groups of people, but have merely been imposed and embedded by our historical practices, systems and institutions that privilege white, cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied, healthy, middle to upper class individuals.
(DiFranco 1:49)
I remember the first time I saw someone
Lying on the cold street
I thought: I can’t just walk past here
This can’t just be true
But I learned by example
To just keep moving my feet
It’s amazing the things that we all learn to do
SYSTEMIC RACISM | INTERSECTIONALITY | PATRIARCHY
This concept is widely prevalent looking at racialized minorities, black and indigenous populations in particular. The everlasting impacts of slavery, land displacement and settler colonialism and their permeation of anti-black and anti-indigenous racism, has created the basis for which BIPOC individuals are disproportionately overrepresented in homelessness (National Alliance to End Homelessness). As discussed by the NAEH, such inequalities are a consequence of structural injustice where “the lingering effects of racism continue to perpetuate disparities in critical areas that impact rates of homelessness” (National Alliance to End Homelessness). Furthermore, factors such as redlining, racial profiling, over incarceration and discrepancies in health care services (National Alliance to End Homelessness), limit the ability for racialized individuals to access affordable housing while remaining physically and mentally sound.
Similarly, we see how the impacts of patriarchy and the presence of toxic masculinity contribute to women’s experiences with homelessness. As a result of patriarchal hierarchies that continue to permeate countries across the globe, factors such as “reproductive coercion and economic inequality intersect with gender to place women at unique risk for housing insecurity compared to men” (Cronley 23). Furthermore, “research shows that DV [domestic violence] is commonly cited as the leading cause of homelessness for women, where one study found 38% of women reported becoming homeless immediately after separating from their partner” (Ali). Assessing how circumstances are worsened through intersecting factors allows for a deeper understanding of the powerful interconnection between homelessness and the stigmatization of diverse identities. In Canada, Indigenous women experience domestic violence and sexual assault at a rate 3.5 times higher than non-indigenous women (CRIAW 555). The Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) emphasizes addressing poverty through an Intersectional Feminist Framework, arguing that factors such as “slavery, colonization, and labour migration” (68) contribute to the racialization of poverty. CRIAW additionally highlights that employment means very little if individuals lack community, support, housing, education, healthcare and necessary services to live a minimally decent life (68), ultimately suggesting that fighting social justice through an intersectional lens is crucial to eradicating poverty (68).
IGNORANCE IS BLISS… UNTIL IT ISN’T
Stigma in terms of homelessness is oftentimes understood as ignorance and neglect. But here’s the thing, ignoring people doesn’t make them go away. Forcing people to resettle [encampment bans] doesn’t make them disappear. When we ignore people experiencing homelessness it means we are ignoring how they got there in the first place. It means we are ignoring those systemic barriers that place certain people at a greater risk of becoming homeless. It means we are ignoring how our systems and institutions are designed to privilege some people and deprivilege the rest. The issue here is that simply ignoring thousands of very real members of society just isn’t sustainable, and oftentimes, it leads to their criminalization. When individuals inevitably cross paths with people experiencing homelessness, stigma may influence them to feel unsafe or threatened, ultimately leading to the implementation of “anti-homeless” legislation (Belcher and Deforge 939). How can we be justified in criminalizing individuals subject to a system that sets them up for failure?
ANTI-HOMELESS ARCHITECTURE
A SHIFT IN ACCOUNTABILITY
What I think is oftentimes overlooked, is the idea that nobody chooses to be homeless, discriminated against, ignored or isolated (Unity Parenting & Counseling). Classism, self-positioned superiority, and blatant prejudice towards individuals residing on the streets, works to create this barrier that fails to acknowledge the roots of suffering and disparity, neglecting how intersections impact vulnerability. Far too much hatred and belittlement is placed on the people experiencing homelessness as opposed to on the governmental institutions which have created the basis for the presence of such widespread stigmatization (Belcher and Deforge 929). People experiencing homelessness are not “dirty criminals” (Unity Parenting & Counseling), but the product of a failed system. It’s easier, as a society, to trivialize people who hold such little power than it is for us to recognize why homelessness exists, who it most commonly exists among, and what dismantling needs to be done to create concrete solutions for its termination. We simply cannot place the blame on individuals brought into a world that wasn’t designed for them to thrive. We must shift our focus and place accountability on the systems responsible for creating hierarchies and fostering inequality. While various initiatives emphasize affordable housing as a goal to end homelessness, I argue that addressing homelessness doesn’t just mean getting everyone off the streets, it means actively working to disempower systemic barriers that place certain individuals at a disadvantage the moment they enter this world.
(Chapman 0:26)
While they’re standing in the welfare lines
Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation
Wasting time in the unemployment lines
Sitting around waiting for a promotion
Don’t you know
Talking about a revolution?
It sounds like a whisper
Poor people gonna rise up
And get their share
Poor people gonna rise up
And take what’s theirs
Works Cited
Ali, Nadia. “Domestic Violence and Homelessness.” The Homeless Hub, 3 October 2016, https://www.homelesshub.ca/blog/domestic-violence-homelessness#:~:text=Research%20shows%20that%20DV%20is,after%20separating%20from%20their%20partner.
Beer, Tommy. “Top 1% Of U.S. Households Hold 15 Times More Wealth Than Bottom 50% Combined.” Forbes, 14 April 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/10/08/top-1-of-us-households-hold-15-times-more-wealth-than-bottom-50-combined/?sh=31978bcd5179.
Belcher, John R. and Bruce R. Deforge. “Social Stigma and Homelessness: The Limits of Social Change.” Taylor and Francis Online, vol. 22, no. 8, 2012, pp. 929-946, https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2012.707941.
“Benches With Armrests That Are Not For The Arms.” 10 Examples Of ‘Anti-Homeless’ Hostile Architecture That You Probably Never Noticed Before, Thought Nova, 12 Nov. 2021, https://thoughtnova.com/10-examples-of-anti-homeless-hostile-architecture-that-you-probably-never-noticed-before.
“Boulders Under Bridges – Challenged To Sleep” 10 Examples Of ‘Anti-Homeless’ Hostile Architecture That You Probably Never Noticed Before, Thought Nova, 12 Nov. 2021, https://thoughtnova.com/10-examples-of-anti-homeless-hostile-architecture-that-you-probably-never-noticed-before.
Caddell, Jenev. “What is Stigma?” Verywell Mind, 16 August 2022, https://www.verywellmind.com/mental-illness-and-stigma-2337677#:~:text=Stigma%20involves%20negative%20attitudes%20or,race%2C%20religion%2C%20and%20culture.
Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action. “Murders and Disappearances of Aboriginal Women and Girls.” Gender and Women’s Studies: Critical Terrain, edited by Margaret Hobbs & Carla Rice, 2nd ed., Women’s Press, 2018, pp. 555.
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women. “Intersectional Feminist Frameworks: A Primer.” Gender and Women’s Studies: Critical Terrain, edited by Margaret Hobbs & Carla Rice, 2nd ed., Women’s Press, 2018, pp. 65-69.
Chapman, Tracy. “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution.” Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/track/0YMFcrMtBowDdD5bPz0cgy?si=46abd3c57ed14b70.
Cronley, Courtney. “Invisible intersectionality in measuring vulnerability among individuals experiencing homelessness – critically appraising the VI-SPDAT.” Taylor and Francis Online, vol. 31, no. 1, 2020, pp. 23-33, https://doi.org/10.1080/10530789.2020.1852502.
Darkow, John. Bonus Editorial Cartoon for June 9, 2020, West Central Tribune, 9 June 2020, https://www.wctrib.com/opinion/cartoons/bonus-editorial-cartoon-for-june-9-2020.
DiFranco, Ani. “Subdivision.” Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/track/3TqBzZLeMtJwLqqCWfp5JI?si=9949d0a56c2e43ad.
“Fenced Grates To Keep You Away From The Heat.” 10 Examples Of ‘Anti-Homeless’ Hostile Architecture That You Probably Never Noticed Before, Thought Nova, 12 Nov. 2021, https://thoughtnova.com/10-examples-of-anti-homeless-hostile-architecture-that-you-probably-never-noticed-before.
Gallardo, Miguel. “Hands Holding Unequal Sums of Money.” The Widening Racial Wealth Divide, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2016, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/10/the-widening-racial-wealth-divid
“Homelessness and Racial Disparities.” National Alliance to End Homelessness, 1 April 2021, https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/what-causes-homelessness/inequality/.
“Housing and Homelessness.” United Way, 6 January 2023, https://www.unitedwaygt.org/the-work/housing-and-homelessness/#:~:text=Groups%20at%20increased%20risk%20of,and%20individuals%20identifying%20as%202SLGBTQ.
Imaginechina/REX. “Concrete Spikes under a Road Bridge in Guangzhou City, Guangdong, China.” Anti-Homeless Spikes: ‘Sleeping Rough Opened My Eyes to the City’s Barbed Cruelty’, The Guardian, 18 Feb. 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/18/defensive-architecture-keeps-poverty-undeen-and-makes-us-more-hostile.
Miller, Johnny. “Image from Mexico City Shows How Closely the Concrete Homes of the City’s Poor Sit Next to the Painted Homes and Tiled Roofs of the More Affluent.” Cities Where Wealth and Poverty Sit Starkly Side by Side, Love Money, 20 Sept. 2020, https://www.lovemoney.com/galleries/100302/cities-where-wealth-and-poverty-sit-starkly-side-by-side?page=2.
“Mountain to Housing.” 5 Facts About Homelessness in Toronto, Ve’ahavta, https://veahavta.org/get-involved/5things/.
“People of Color Are Largely Overrepresented among Those Experiencing Homelessness.” Racism and Homelessness are Inextricably Linked. Here’s What We’re Doing About it., Community Solutions, 7 Feb. 2020, https://community.solutions/race-and-homelessness-are-inextricably-linked-heres-what-were-doing-about-it/.
“Raised Grate Covers – An Abstract Fancy Design?” 10 Examples Of ‘Anti-Homeless’ Hostile Architecture That You Probably Never Noticed Before, Thought Nova, 12 Nov. 2021, https://thoughtnova.com/10-examples-of-anti-homeless-hostile-architecture-that-you-probably-never-noticed-before.
Statistics Canada. “Residents of Canada’s Shelters for Abused Women.” Domestic Violence & Homelessness, The Homeless Hub, 3 Oct. 2016, https://www.homelesshub.ca/blog/domestic-violence-homelessness#:~:text=Research%20shows%20that%20DV%20is,after%20separating%20from%20their%20partner.
Statistics Canada. “The National Shelter Study: Emergency Shelter Use in Canada 2005-2009.” The Hidden Percentage, YWCA Saskatoon, 8 Dec. 2022, https://www.ywcasaskatoon.com/the-hidden-percentage/.
“Stigmatization.” Oxford Languages, Oxford University Press, https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/
Vieira, Tuca. “Paraisópolis a Favela in Sao Paulo next to Its Wealthy Neighbour, Morumbi.” Inequality … in a Photograph, The Guardian, 29 Nov. 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/nov/29/sao-paulo-injustice-tuca-vieira-inequality-photograph-paraisopolis.“Why Homelessness is Stigmatized.” Unity Parenting & Counseling, 8 April 2022, https://unityparenting.org/why-homelessness-is-stigmatized/#:~:text=The%20stigmas%20surrounding%20homelessness%20are,even%20become%20victims%20of%20violence.
Introduction to Gender and Women's Studies Blog 