Powerful poem is a PSA for homeless girls
Spoken word poet Sophia Thakur gives a deeply personal and moving take on the housing crisis. The poem is titled 'A Diary of a Homeless Girl' and is her attempt to bring awareness to the increasingly frightening rate of homelessness in the UK. She paints a vividly bold depiction with her words that express the truth on homelessness and how these people truly suffer.
Throughout the poem, she reiterates these homelessness statistics in the UK:
1. Homelessness has increased by 75% from 2008 to 2012.
2. Homeless people are 47% more likely to become a victim of theft.
3. 5% of homeless people have been urinated on.
4. There are 610,000 empty, unused homes in the UK.
5. Homeless people are likely to be dead by the age of 43.
Use this interactive map to view the homelessness statistics in the US:
Many activist groups are taking action to bring awareness to homelessness and to curate understanding and education around the stigma of those who are homeless. Also, there are several ways people can involve themselves in the fight against homelessness and to help those who are struggling.
To learn more, you can research groups like the National Coalition for the Homeless, National Alliance to End Homelessness, and Homeless Advocacy Project.
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