BEING HOMELESS IN LANSING, MI
When we first started this project, we knew we had some preconceived notions of what being homeless looked like. In an attempt to erase these biases, we did extensive online research regarding homelessness in Lansing specifically. Unfortunately, our research was limited by the lack of online records of homelessness in Lansing. At this point, we put as many biases as we could aside and set out to photograph the streets of Lansing in order to display the little findings we had. The images taken at this time are displayed in the first gallery below. In addition to the galleries, you will find a questionaire at the bottom of this page. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
The goal of the first gallery is to portray unsheltered homelessness. The images in this gallery were taken with Cardboard Camera. To view the images with any virtual reality headset, simply click on each image and download it to the free Cardboard Camera app (on Android or iOS). They can also be viewed on a desktop or mobile device by clicking on the image and panning left to right.
After uploading the previous images, we still felt as if the pictures we were displaying were rooted in our biases instead of reality. Having depleted our online resources, we decided to take our research offline and in person. This lead us to Laura Grimwood, the Director of Communications at City Rescue Mission in Lansing, MI.
In a meeting with Laura, she explained that, contrary to our previous biases, the majority of the homeless population in Lansing, MI is not unsheltered. Due to extreme weather conditions, finding shelter quickly is crucially important to those who are without housing. Unlike other cities with underground transportation, homeless men, women, and children have few options for shelter if they don't turn to the local homeless shelters. Luckily, Lansing alone has almost 20 homeless shelters who are willing and able to help.
Unsheltered homelessness is also more complex than we originally imagined. Those who remain unsheltered during harsh weather conditions and deny help from the numerous organizations in the area, are usually dealing with bigger issues than finance. Mental illness, paranoia, and distrust can all play a role in unsheltered homelessness.
In a meeting with Laura, she explained that, contrary to our previous biases, the majority of the homeless population in Lansing, MI is not unsheltered. Due to extreme weather conditions, finding shelter quickly is crucially important to those who are without housing. Unlike other cities with underground transportation, homeless men, women, and children have few options for shelter if they don't turn to the local homeless shelters. Luckily, Lansing alone has almost 20 homeless shelters who are willing and able to help.
Unsheltered homelessness is also more complex than we originally imagined. Those who remain unsheltered during harsh weather conditions and deny help from the numerous organizations in the area, are usually dealing with bigger issues than finance. Mental illness, paranoia, and distrust can all play a role in unsheltered homelessness.
The second gallery aims to portray sheltered homelessness. The images in this gallery were taken by employees of City Rescue Mission of Lansing and are available on their Facebook page here.
In our conversation with Laura, she also touched on the stigma surrounding sheltered homeless men, women, and children. She explained how many people hear the word homeless and picture a ragged man or woman sitting next to a dumpster with a cardboard sign. In Lansing, that's not always the case. The guests of City Rescue Mission are everyday people with families and jobs. Due to some unfortunate circumstance, they were left homeless. In the time it takes to save enough money for stable housing again, these people find shelter for themselves and their families in places like City Rescue Mission.
In our conversation with Laura, she also touched on the stigma surrounding sheltered homeless men, women, and children. She explained how many people hear the word homeless and picture a ragged man or woman sitting next to a dumpster with a cardboard sign. In Lansing, that's not always the case. The guests of City Rescue Mission are everyday people with families and jobs. Due to some unfortunate circumstance, they were left homeless. In the time it takes to save enough money for stable housing again, these people find shelter for themselves and their families in places like City Rescue Mission.