Reporters, editors and vendors of street papers across the country meet in Denver for the North American conference of the International Network of Street Papers hosted by the Denver VOICE in autumn of 2025 Goodwill Power' and the Future of Street Papers THE U.S. MEDIA LANDSCAPE HAS UNDERGONE A SEISMIC SHIFT in recent years as news consumers turn to digital platforms. It’s a trend that has threatened the existence of a special group of papers that help people who are homeless earn an income. Street papers have existed in America for more than a century, with historical precursors including The War Cry, the official publication of the Salvation Army that debuted in 1879, and Hobo News, a paper the International Brotherhood Welfare Association began publishing in 1915. Modern versions of these models began cropping up across the U.S. in the 1980s as homelessness grew rapidly. Today, there are more than 30 street papers operating in the U.S. and more than 100 worldwide. Those papers have done more than simply tell stories about our unhoused neighbors. Denver’s street paper, the Denver VOICE, has helped more than 4,500 people who were homeless earn an income since the paper was founded in 1996. Some of our current vendors use their income from the VOICE to pay rent for an apartment of their own, buy food and travel to meet with friends and family. In short, the income they earn from vending this paper helps them maintain the relationships homelessness breaks. The challenges street papers face today can seem insurmountable. Federal policy shifts have made funding for street papers uncertain with the Trump administration outlawing federal agencies from supporting diversity, equity and inclusion programs,which street papers fall under. In turn, foundations have been hesitant to approve grants for fear of federal retaliation. Declining trust in media has also turned some previous By Robert Davis Photos by Yvens Alex Saintil supporters into critics. Meanwhile, the rising cost of living has eaten away at household budgets and made it harder for supporters to continue donating. Despite these challenges, experts say there are still ways for street papers to continue and keep making a lasting impact. “There’s enthusiastic people in touch with us, saying they want to set up a new street paper in whichever town or city they’re in,” Mike Findlay, CEO of the International Network of Street Papers, a nonprofit organization that supports street papers across the globe, told the Denver VOICE. “We’ve got some goodwill power.” 8 NEWS '
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