The Reputation: Introduction

“Florence has got the reputation…” Homelessness has been an issue in the United States long before it was declared a national epidemic in the 1980s. Since then, the same myths and misconceptions have entangled their way around the issue, making it even more difficult to reach to any sense of the bottom of it. For too long, the story of homelessness in this country has been told through the perspective of lawmakers and city council members. Each week, I hope to shine a new light on the issue by peeling back the stigma, the reputation, of homelessness one story at a time. The catch? I’m not one telling stories. Those who’ve lived homeless are.