Derrick, Oakland California, ex-millionaire, became homeless after 2008 financial crash - Invisible People

Derrick is a survivor. After losing millions of dollars in the Great Recession of 2008, Derrick's life then snowballed to living in a tent homeless in Oakland, California.

Over time, other homeless people started camping around Derrick, and a small homeless encampment grew into a tent city. I featured the tent community here: https://youtu.be/ftMifFpUWCQ

In this video, Derrick shares a little more about his background and how the tent encampment started. The good news is in the time since I recorded this interview, Derrick qualified for a new program funded by Kaiser Permanente. Any day now he'll be moving into housing. A few weeks back, gangs broke into Derricks tent, and he lost everything again. The housing program will help with rent for a year while Derrick gets back on his feet, but he has nothing for his new apartment. If you'd like to help, please click here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/1rf0a5m640

Derrick is running for mayor. You can learn more and support his campaign here: https://www.facebook.com/Derrick-Soo-for-City-of-Oakland-Mayor-2022-975183006011778/

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

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.

#homeless #tentcity #oakland