NATIONAL FEATURE IN HIS NEW BOOK FACES OF HOMELESSNESS, JEFFREY A. WOLIN WANTS TO GIVE VOICES TO THE PEOPLE HE PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEFFREY A. WOLIN Homelessness takes many forms beyond living on the streets. Factors besides mental illness and addiction contribute to the problem. There are homeless veterans; families who were evicted when their residences were foreclosed on; people with sudden medical expenses that insurance didn’t cover. Job loss, divorce, death of a spouse or parent, domestic violence, discrimination based on sexual orientation, lack of affordable housing, etc., all drive homelessness. There are working poor who live in vehicles or tents and work full-time jobs. Most people experiencing homelessness are invisible, living doubled up with friends or family, in shelters, hospitals, or Single Room Occupancy hotels. Jeffrey A. Wolin photographs and interviews a wide swath of this vulnerable population and includes their own words directly on their portraits to dispel our firmly-held stereotypes. Below, he shares what this project means to him. MY CURRENT PHOTO/TEXT SERIES, Faces of Homelessness, endeavors to show a wide range of individuals who are currently experiencing homelessness or have experienced it in the past. There’s been a considerable increase in awareness of this crisis as our society is moving in the direction of shredding our social safety net, making the lives of our most vulnerable fellow citizens that much harder. Like my previous long-term projects, I interview my subjects and include their stories in their own words directly on their portraits. This strategy gives voice to the people I photograph and allows audiences to directly connect stories with faces. Given the sensitive nature of this subject, I don’t just wander the streets to photograph. We don’t need more images of people sleeping on heating grates. Instead, I work with organizations that deal with homelessness every day. I’ve been partnering with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, one of the nation’s most respected non-profits dealing with this crisis. CCH helped introduce me to individuals to photograph and interview, which helps with the issue of informed consent, an essential component of all my work. I strive to establish a relationship of trust with the people I photograph and to portray them with dignity. I’ve learned from CCH and other organizations such as Venice Community Housing and Safe Place for Youth in L.A., that homelessness takes many more forms than living on the streets and that the popular image of all homeless as mentally ill and/or drug addicts is simplistic and often incorrect. It’s important to dispel these stereotypes if solutions to this widespread problem are to be found. In fact, most people experiencing homelessness are invisible: living doubled up with friends and family (around 16,000 kids in Chicago Public Schools lack a permanent address); in short or long-term shelters; in hospitals or SRO’s (Single Room Occupancy hotels). There are homeless veterans; individuals and families who were evicted when their residences were foreclosed on; people who had sudden medical expenses that insurance didn’t cover. Job loss, divorce, death of a spouse or parent, domestic violence, coming out as gay, leaving foster care, lack of affordable housing, etc., all drive homelessness. Several individuals I’ve photographed are working poor, living in their vehicles or in tents, and working full-time jobs. While I was engaged in this long-term series, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Needless to say, it had a rather negative impact on this vulnerable population. Accordingly, I added portraits and stories of several homeless individuals who came down with the virus and lived to tell the tale. I hope my images can contribute to the public discourse about causes and possible solutions to some of the difficult issues surrounding the worldwide homelessness crisis. For more information about Faces of Homelessness, visit https://www.kehrerverlag.com/en/jeffrey-a-wolin-facesof-homelessness-978-3-96900-057-1 ■ Courtesy of International Network of Street Papers I left home at 15 and was brought into Mercy Home for Boys & Girls. They had a rigid structure which has helped me. I take my academics more seriously. Kate, my advocate, always cheered me up; could turn my frown upside down. I had bad self-worth. I was overweight; didn’t want to change as a person; kept to myself; didn’t trust anyone. On May 19, 2018, I began my hormone treatment to transition from female to male and moved out of the group home. I came out in 2017 and everyone was supportive but wouldn’t allow me to get a legal name change or move to a boys’ home. I want to be a classical pop musician and be on Broadway. I enrolled in voice classes to develop my vocal range. I’m currently in Triton College as a freshman studying Arts & Music. My goal is to get a Bachelor’s in Musical Theatre and minor in Voice. I’m currently living at El Rascate, a transitional living shelter in the Puerto Rican Cultural Center. The residents range from 18-24; I’m the baby. Since moving there, I got to connect with really good case managers who helped with my legal name change and gender transition. I am a single mom of 2 boys. My oldest, his name is Juan; he is 4 years old and autistic, but not severe. My other son’s name is Francisco and he is 2. They are my world. I was living in a domestic violence relationship. I was unhappy for 5 or 6 years. I thank God for my kids and for opening my eyes to help me leave that life. Nothing is easy. I became homeless January 2, 2020. Me and my 2 kids sleep in the living room at my mom’s house; we don’t have anywhere else to go. My dad gave me an air mattress. Every night I have to pump it up; I have to put the covers and sheets on, give the kids pillows. Every morning I have to take the air out, fold it back up. My goal now is to go back to work and back to school to study child development. I want to work at day care , save money and get an apartment of my own. It’s been 2 months since I left my husband and moved to my parents’ house. Set new goals for your life, especially if you have kids, to show yourself and your kids that Mommy is able to do it. PHOTO AND TEXT COURTESY OF INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF STREET PAPERS PHOTO AND TEXT COURTESY OF INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF STREET PAPERS 8 DENVER VOICE March 2022
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