What Does a Homeless Person Look Like?

When most people imagine a “homeless person” they think of an older man, mumbling to himself, as he pushes a shopping cart down the street. This stereotypical image of a homeless person is just one small segment of the 57,000 men, women, children, and families, who our are our neighbors, living in the streets among us in Los Angeles.

The face of Homelessness mirrors the faces of everyone we see in our society. The homeless are our Veterans, who served with distinction; parents choosing between rent and food for their kids; homeowners who lost their home because of health conditions; actors who came to Hollywood to open doors, but have yet to find the keys; battered spouses who had the courage to leave, but nowhere to go; the gay child who came out, and their parents would not let them back in; victims of fire who had no renters insurance; sex workers who were liberated by the police, but left with no money or a place to live; there are 57,000 stories about how people became homeless, but there is one thing they all have in common, and that is that none of them planned on being homeless. Homelessness can happen to anyone.

When I think about the hundreds of people we have had the pleasure to serve at HOLA Recuperative Care, one lady’s story frequently comes to mind. “Sandra”, lived with her uncle and cared for him for seventeen years. He was of poor health. “Sandra” cooked, cleaned, and cared for him. On Thanksgiving, he passed away. By Christmas, his children realized what the house was worth, sold it, and put her on the street, with nothing but a suitcase of her clothes.

Within weeks, “Sandra” a lovely, educated, middle-class lady in her 60’s lost her family and her home. She became homeless overnight. She slept in the back of a car until she suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized. Upon release, because she had no safe place to recuperate, the hospital referred her to HOLA Recuperative Care.

During the fifteen days she was with us, we were able to help her get Social Security benefits she did not know she had, got her SNAP, and found her permanent housing she could afford. We also connected her with grief counseling and wrap around medical services so that she did not end up back in the hospital or on the streets. She was so thankful that she cried when she left us.

What happened to “Sandra” could happen to anyone, and often does. Here’s is an example of how homelessness can happen without warning. Because it can happen to anyone, we are here to help everyone.