Homeless Experts Sound Off

by Shannon Moriarty

category: Interviews

Published June 03, 2009 @ 04:00AM PT

Whether you're a policy buff or someone who has survived on the streets, you are an expert on homelessness. Thoughtful policy based on research is absolutely necessary for informing the way resources are directed towards ending homelessness. But at the same time, nobody knows more about surviving on the streets or living on a meager paycheck than someone who has experienced it. Voices from both perspectives play an important role in the conversation about homelessness and how to best address this issue.

So today, I'm happy to share two interviews with two homelessness experts. One survived for years under a highway overpass in New York City. He recently wrote a book chronicling his experiences. The other happens to be a member of President Obama's cabinet.

Both are experts in their own right. Both have important things to say.

First up: Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Shaun Donovan, in an interview conducted by the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Here's an excerpt:

NAEH: Where do you draw your inspiration?
SD: As an eleven year old, I was sitting in Yankee Stadium during Game 2 of the 1977 World Series when Howard Cosell's uttered his famous words: "Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning." The Bronx burning on the city skyline was just one of the many visible signs that government institutions and urban programs were failing. People were asking if our cities were dead, and American families moved out of urban cores to the suburbs in record numbers. It was a frightening and eye-opening time to live in New York. But it was a time that also sparked a deep interest in me, an interest in how I could play a part in changing the policies that shaped the urban landscape and the built environment around me. I remember very vividly walking on my way to school in the morning and seeing people sleeping on the streets. I remember constantly asking myself why. Why was the world like this? And what can I do to change it?

Read the entire interview here.

Next, meet Cadillac Man. After the loss of his job and the breakdown of his marriage, he wound up on the streets of New York City. For 15 years, he survived by staying in shelters and collecting cans and bottles. His memoir, Land of the Lost Souls, was released in March. Here's an excerpt from his interview with The Morning News:

TMN: What's one thing the average person could do to help the situation of homeless people?
CM: By donations to soup kitchens, clothing donations, anywhere where the finances go more directly to the clients. Too much goes toward administrative costs and other hidden agendas. Also, the public could be better educated about who we are and why we are here. They often believe they live far removed from our way of life, but in fact they do not. Losing everything could happen to anyone at any time.

Read the rest here.

I don't know about you, but I'd like these two to meet someday.