Homeless in Las Vegas: Stories from the Street

Epilogue

The people I interviewed in this work often expressed an identity rooted in both freedom and poverty. They were poor, but in a wealthy environment . Homeless people I met in Las Vegas were frequently destitute but were also trying to partake of the city, deciding to purchase nonessential items and engaging in leisure pursuits for the sake of enjoyment or simply distraction from their problems. The rhetoric of homelessness as a “lifestyle” reflects the belief that homeless people are “choosing” poverty. Such rhetoric often reinforces stereotypes about homeless individuals that emphasize their character flaws, leading to misunderstandings about homelessness and often ill-conceived public policy rooted in blaming the victim. The lifestyle choices of the homeless people I interviewed must be understood in context. I hope their stories help us collectively rethink judgments about the morality and/or appropriateness of their choices. Instead, their stories might lead us to ask more ominous questions: To what extent have we created a permanent category of people marginal to “our” competitive, capitalist economy? In the postmodern era, to what extent does that economy include and reward people based on their image, and what groups are likely excluded from this economy? Remembering that every human life involves long periods where that person does not or cannot work, to what extent does our society provide healthy and supportive environments for those citizens who, for whatever reasons, are outside the traditional economy? To what extent should such supportive environments be considered rights? Have we created a group of superfluEpilogue : : 222 : h o me l e s s i n l a s v e g a s ous, permanently marginalized people, and if so, what should they do with themselves? :: :: :: I have argued that we need to listen to what homeless people are telling us—that they have valuable insights into what led to their homelessness , the troubles they face, and what would help them now. First and foremost, they are strongly suggesting that they want and/or need housing . The streets are a painful place. Their lack of housing exacerbates their problems and/or interferes with their facing and addressing them. Their stories suggest that they frequently encounter harassment and disrespect from members of the larger housed community and even by those charged with helping them. They seem also to suggest that they need a sense of community and connection to others. If they cannot participate in a healthy community, they will join or create unhealthy communities and/or relationships, because the worst thing for most people is having no connection to others at all. Their stories and actions suggest that they have needs and wants and that they will try and find ways to get their needs and wants met. If it is through trying to work, scavenging for goods, prostitution, stealing, using new technologies , asking people for help, or other means, they will be resourceful enough to keep alive. They also seem to be saying and showing that if the conditions leading to social problems like homelessness go unaddressed, those problems will invariably grow worse. It also seems that, in the long run, the problems that stem from homeless people’s lack of housing could well cost taxpayers more than it would have cost to provide them with housing and substantial help in the first place. If we take what homeless people say seriously, they suggest that housing should be considered a basic human right. The United States is the wealthiest country on Earth. If we care so much about the value of human life, as so many polls and politicians suggest, then we should care about all people, even those (perhaps especially those) who are marginal and hurt. By discussing many of the troubles they faced as children and adults, they suggest that they would likely benefit from compassion rather than judgment. Listening to homeless people reveals that some people at some points in their life simply cannot find a place in the “productive” world (Marin 1987). Not being employed, or not having access to appropriate care for Epilogue : 223 personal problems, should not result in a stigmatized identity at best or a death sentence at worst. We all have troubles at times, we all are dependent on others at times, and at some point each of us needs help. Constructively addressing homelessness then requires that we first recognize our shared humanity. ...