As students in NYC, we often come across homeless people various times a day. We never get to hear their stories, and often make our own assumptions. This inspired us to look deeper at the narratives of the homeless: the reasons why and the sequence of events that led them there.

We visited All Angels’ Episcopal Church in the Upper West Side with Professor Brown to speak to a group of eight people who have struggled with homelessness, most of whom are still homeless. We were in search of these unheard stories so we could bring to light a different perspective about the realities of homelessness.

After interviewing a group of homeless individuals, we discovered that the realities of homelessness are broader than previously perceived.

These stories are first person narratives taken from the perspective of each homeless man or woman. Aspects of their stories may have been embellished or affected by hind-sight bias.

Here are their stories…