Most have at some point volunteered at a food pantry or a homeless shelter, but the roots of these problems in and of themselves are rarely understood, despite the pervasiveness of these issues in our communities. And fundraisers are always easier to organize than actually confronting the situation at hand and forming a solution for fixing a system that lets thousands run through its cracks every year.

It seems like a funny contradiction because, in the United States, it’s not difficult to hear about the abject poverty that others live in across the world, and while the degree of poverty may appear worse in other places, the fact remains that poverty is poverty, and many assume that in the United States somebody somewhere — be it a government agency or the welfare clinic — is picking up the slack. Unfortunately, for those who do not meet the often strict guidelines for government aid, they are stigmatized by the public as having problems with drugs or mental illness.

That's why I decided to investigate a small meeting on Medary Avenue the other day in my city of Columbus, Ohio, called Columbus Housing Justice. 

Gathered in the living room at 9 p.m. with a small group of equally curious and homeless people alike, we listened as we were not bashed with a certain doctrine, but introduced to three people who decided to open a conversation in the community about the lack of public housing in our city and what could be done to solve the problem.

In recent years, internationally renowned groups such as Amnesty International have opened up the definition of human rights to include economic and social human rights, which brings up the question: What are our fundamental rights as human beings? And in a society that values self-building, are individuals actually inherently entitled to things such as guaranteed housing and food?

These are all fundamental questions in addressing issues such as homelessness and ones indeed that need to be addressed before you can confront the slashing of government funding of Section 8 vouchers and public housing in recent years.

Jane, who’s been homeless for five years after being kicked out of her house by her son, said being homeless in America is a sort of catch if you don’t have a child or a mental illness or some sort of record and are eligible for welfare. Because in America, if you don't have an address, you can't get a job. And if you don't have money, you cannot afford rent. Section 8 vouchers, which were originally intended to help people through these periods until they could get back on their feet, have been closed to new applicants and even those eligible could wait for five years. In addition to these issues, housing complexes accepting the vouchers are being relegated to suburban real estate where public transportation is often poor as suburbanites flock to newly renovated urban housing.

So where exactly does this leave a population with limited options and a department so underfunded it’s no wonder it’s so difficult to receive benefits? 

Organizations such as Columbus Housing Justice join other groups such as South Florida’s Take Back the Land and others in major cities nationwide in confronting the fundamental need and problem of housing in our own backyards. In an age where people are beginning to realize that the way we approach our basic needs, such as responsibly produced food and housing, has an enormous impact on larger conflicts and global issues, confronting issues such as homelessness and public housing gets pushed to the forefront of national agendas.

In the end, however, Columbus Housing Justice decides to confront the issue of homelessness. Perhaps the most important aspect of this grassroots movement is simply organizing a conversation about a broken system that is in clear need of repair.

Lara Gabrielle Blanco Heintz