Visible invisibles: Harvard Square's homeless
Roya Wolverson
Issue date: 2/7/07 Section: Features
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My walk to school each morning is a pleasant affair for the most part. It starts with a quiet stroll across Cambridge Common, watching office workers shuffle hurriedly to the bus stop. But when I get to the edge of Harvard Square I unconsciously steel myself. Within the next few steps someone who lives on the street will ask me for money. I will decline with a diffident shake of my head and a half smile and stare furiously at the pavement.
An annual census of Cambridge's homeless population conducted in January 2006 reported 445 homeless people in the city. Conducted just days after a snowstorm, the census counted 36 people sleeping on the street overnight. KSGers encounter some of these people each day, but for many of us they are just part of the landscape.
"Interest in homelessness comes and goes. The downside of moving toward a global focus is that we don't pay quite as much attention to the things happening at home," says William Apgar, Lecturer in Public Policy and housing policy expert. "I think people have issue overload."
There are many reasons that people end up on the street - alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness and escaping from domestic violence are common causes. The uniting factor is an inability to get help. Apgar says many are fearful of shelters and charity, unsure if they can cope with a more structured life and worried about losing their favored spot on the street. This is never more evident than in winter.
"It's hard to get folks to come into shelters even when it is really cold - this is a reminder of how fearful they are and their limited ability to cope," says Apgar.
A lack of social resources is a critical problem.
"They are more than just economically poor. They have a few resources, maybe they have some temporary employment. The key feature is that they have used up all of their social assets," Apgar says. "If I went home tonight and my house had burned to the ground I would not be out on the street. I have lots of people to back me up. These folks don't have those social resources for some reason and need help to get their life organized."
An annual census of Cambridge's homeless population conducted in January 2006 reported 445 homeless people in the city. Conducted just days after a snowstorm, the census counted 36 people sleeping on the street overnight. KSGers encounter some of these people each day, but for many of us they are just part of the landscape.
"Interest in homelessness comes and goes. The downside of moving toward a global focus is that we don't pay quite as much attention to the things happening at home," says William Apgar, Lecturer in Public Policy and housing policy expert. "I think people have issue overload."
There are many reasons that people end up on the street - alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness and escaping from domestic violence are common causes. The uniting factor is an inability to get help. Apgar says many are fearful of shelters and charity, unsure if they can cope with a more structured life and worried about losing their favored spot on the street. This is never more evident than in winter.
"It's hard to get folks to come into shelters even when it is really cold - this is a reminder of how fearful they are and their limited ability to cope," says Apgar.
A lack of social resources is a critical problem.
"They are more than just economically poor. They have a few resources, maybe they have some temporary employment. The key feature is that they have used up all of their social assets," Apgar says. "If I went home tonight and my house had burned to the ground I would not be out on the street. I have lots of people to back me up. These folks don't have those social resources for some reason and need help to get their life organized."
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