A View from (Under) the Bridge

categories: Hiding the Homeless, Research, Stories from the Streets

Published November 07, 2009 @ 05:42AM PT

On paper, Leonard Grant might say that a combination of unemployment, addiction, and mental health caused his homelessness. But that's not the whole story. Even these reasons for homelessness can have their own causes.

You see, Grant tragically lost his son in a car accident, which sent his world spiraling out of control. His depression turned into drug use, his drug use made him unemployable, and without an income, he lost his home.

Grant calls the past three years of his life "dead time." This is how long he has lived under a bridge in Knox County, Tennessee - homeless. He's trying to piece his life back together, but it isn't easy. He's working to gather the legal documents he needs to apply for housing and social security. His biggest hurdle? Getting a copy of his birth certificate.

This is the story behind Grant's reasons for homelessness. It's one example of a story that could never be captured by research or statistics as they are currently reported. This is the human element of homelessness, the kind of story we might be more likely to identify with, the kind that might allow us to feel someone else's pain.

It's so simple, but so easy to forget: nobody ever plans on living under a bridge in Tennessee.

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Comments (1)

I can relate to the homeless as I once was on drugs and got to the point where I couldn't pay my house note or eat and was left to sleep in my front yard relying on food from my neighbors. I prayed and cried and God led me to take control of my life and follow a different path. I pray for each and every homeless and hungry person and I hope we all can help them in any way we can.

Posted by Vicky Farmer on 11/07/2009 @ 06:33AM PT
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Author

Shannon has worked in homeless shelters and service organizations in San Francisco, the Triangle region of North Carolina, and currently in the greater Boston area. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.