Stephanie, Austin Texas, made homeless following Cancer surgery - Invisible People

SEARCH HOMELESS | 31 INVISIBLE PEOPLE | 24

Video Description (from Youtube)

Stephanie just woke up. She lives in Governor Abbott's state-run homeless camp in Austin, Texas. Jennifer was on her way to the porta-potty when her friends suggested that I talk to her. I was kind of surprised she agreed. It's rare people want to speak to a camera first thing after getting out of bed.

Stephanie says homelessness is hard being judged and pointed at looked down by people who don't understand the situation. Most people believe people are homeless because they don't want to work or do anything for themselves. Stephanie continues there are people in the camp who had homes and have jobs but lost everything do to a crisis or an illness. In Stephanie's situation, it's both crisis and illness.

The owner sold the home Stephanie was living in. Although she was sick with cancer, she had to leave the property in 24 hours. Stephanie then went through major surgery. She says the hospital excited her back to homelessness even though she needed recuperative care, where she then survived on the streets severely disabled. Sadly, hospitals are known to exit patents without insurance or a place to stay out on the streets. A few hospitals have been sued for patient dumping, but they still do it.

Stephanie is now receiving disability, but it's still not enough to rent an apartment. She has been on a housing list for three years, but because of the affordable housing crisis, homeless service providers have trouble finding apartments. Everyone I talk to during my visit to Camp Texas had been on a housing list for several years. We need your help to fix that.

Your voice can help end homelessness. If we do not fix the affordable housing crisis, homelessness will continue to get worse. Click here https://invisiblepeople.tv/getinvolved to tweet, email, call, or Facebook your federal and state legislators to tell them ending homelessness and creating more affordable housing is a priority to you.

==================================

Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/c/invisiblepeople?sub_confirmation=1

Invisible People's website:

http://invisiblepeople.tv

Support Invisible People:

https://invisiblepeople.tv/donate

On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/invisiblepeople

Invisible People's Social Media:

https://www.youtube.com/invisiblepeople
https://twitter.com/invisiblepeople
https://www.instagram.com/invisiblepeople
https://www.facebook.com/invisiblepeopletv

Mark Horvath's Twitter:

https://twitter.com/hardlynormal

About Invisible People

There is a direct correlation between what the general public perceives about homelessness and how it affects policy change. Most people blame homelessness on the person experiencing it instead of the increasing shortage of affordable housing, lack of employment, a living wage or the countless reasons that put a person at risk. This lack of understanding creates a dangerous cycle of misperception that leads to the inability to effectively address the root causes of homelessness.

We imagine a world where everyone has a place to call home. Each day, we work to fight homelessness by giving it a face while educating individuals about the systemic issues that contribute to its existence. Through storytelling, education, news, and activism, we are changing the narrative on homelessness.

This isn't just talk. Each year, our groundbreaking educational content reaches more than a billion people across the globe. Our real and unfiltered stories of homelessness shatter stereotypes, demand attention and deliver a call-to-action that is being answered by governments, major brands, nonprofit organizations, and everyday citizens just like you.

However, there is more work to be done on the road ahead. Homelessness is undoubtedly one of our biggest societal issues today and will only continue to grow if we don't take action now.

Invisible People is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about homelessness through innovative storytelling, news, and advocacy. Since our launch in 2008, Invisible People has become a pioneer and trusted resource for inspiring action and raising awareness in support of advocacy, policy change and thoughtful dialogue around poverty in North America and the United Kingdom.

---

Published: 22 Apr 2020 ·  Uploaded: 22 Jun 2020

---

SEARCH HOMELESS | 31 INVISIBLE PEOPLE | 24