Visualising Youth Homelessness

Enabling the young people to visualize their views and experiences about homelessness is a key starting point in developing our powerful campaign to raise awareness. Each of the young people chose an image which represented an aspect of being homeless. They all spoke about their image to the group explaining why they chose the image and what it meant to them. This created a fascinating debate around the issue and gave us a shared understanding of youth homelessness. It created a sound starting point for our campaign journey and is fantastic insight into the feelings experienced by young people who have been homeless.

Amy: Visualization

1. Time

I chose this image because it represents how significant time became for me when I was homeless. Time is a huge issue when you are homeless. You always seem to be waiting. Waiting for an appointment, waiting for your benefits, waiting on lists. Even though you are trying to achieve things and move forward your time is not your own, you always seem to be waiting on someone or something in order to move on. When you are homeless time drags. When you have to wait on someone getting back to you its not easy because you have nowhere to go and nothing to do to kill time. Because of the stress of the situation you are in you feel down and are drawn into drugs or alcohol. Even when you want to spend the money constructively its difficult because it isn't enough to do the things you want, to help you move out of the situation.

2. Money

Money is the biggest issue when you become homeless. Its hard to know the best way to spend the very little bit of money you get, how to spend it right. It's really difficult when you are vulnerable and low not to spend money on drugs and alcohol because of your circumstances and the way you feel.

Bryony: Visualization

1. On Your Own

I chose this picture because it represents being alone. In my experience of homelessness I had many people trying to help me but I was the one living it. This was my journey and this image represents that you are on your own in the situation regardless of how many people are around you trying to help. It feels like people pitty you, but that doesn't change your circumstances. At the end of the day these people go home and you are left to return to your own journey. This image for me is about staying on the right track, having an aim and being strong enough to get through.

2. Focus

This image speaks about balance and staying steady. When you are homeless you have to take one step at a time. You feel like you could fall at any time. You have to keep focus and know where you want to get to so that you stay up. There are also other people sharing similar experiences but its like you don't see whats around you because you are concentrating so hard on keeping your balance. You have to believe you can get to the other side.

Anthony: Visualization

Lonely Island

I thought this image represented how I felt about being homeless. You feel like you are on an island, like you are an island. You are on your own to take care of yourself. It's an isolating experience, you feel detached from the world.

Emily: Visualization

1. Leave me alone

This image for me is about reacting to having people stare and look down at you, who don't seem to care. Being homeless is hard and when people who don't know you judge you and don't take any time to ask why you are there or how you are doing it makes you feel defensive. This image expresses the feeling that a young homeless person can experience. If you really don't care and you don't want to find out who I am or how I feel, then go away. Leave me alone.

2. Stereotypes

I feel people base their ideas about youth homelessness with negative stereotypes. It is not right for people with no experience of homelessness to judge you in this way. They think you are lazy and can't be bothered to get a job, as if you have chosen to be there. It isolates you even more when you already feel excluded.

Nazz: Visualization

Shared Experiences

This represents many people in the same place. Although they are together they are more like individuals in the same space. When I became homeless I did not realize there was lots of other young people having similar experiences to me. It helped me, even though I didn't know them, that other people where in the same situation as me. Although it is never good for anyone to be homeless it was encouraging for me knowing other people were going through the same experiences.

Harley: Visualization

1. Crime

This image made me think about crime. Being homeless has many issues connected to it and living as a young homeless person could possibly mean you could get involved in crime. Living in circumstances where you have very little to get by can lead to getting involved in crime to help you survive.

2. Drugs Misuse

This picture to me represents a bad trip. Homelessness can cause psychological problems and make you feel low and depressed. Drugs is an easy escape, people want to leave their feelings behind and step into a completely different world where their problems don't exist.