Author name: Michel Degive

The Dangers of Unethical Reporting of Homelessness In September, I reached out to 16-year-old Eva. She was doxxed to 1.5 million viewers by content creator Caleb Cross, an emerging YouTuber called InRealTime Interviews. In an interview that had gone viral, Cross discloses not only her location (doxxing) but also details on where she was living […]

Algorithms, Influencers, and Profit-Driven Narratives Are Reshaping Public Perception, Fueling the Policies That Keep People Unhoused We didn’t wake up one morning hating homeless people. Scroll long enough, and you’ll see why: shaky videos of suffering, thumbnails designed to shock, livestreams that turn human crisis into entertainment. This is the version of homelessness the algorithm

The Media Brand’s Polished Videos Redefine Homelessness as a Choice, Influencing Young Audiences and Pushing Punitive Policy When viewers watch PragerU’s viral YouTube Video “What Do We Do About the Homeless?”, they are told: “Homelessness is not a housing problem, it’s a human problem. The primary drivers of homelessness are drug addiction and mental illness.”

Inside the Online Echochamber: Turning Homelessness Misinformation Into Fear, Dehumanization, and Criminalization If you type “homeless” into YouTube’s search bar, you will likely find a viral clip of homeless people being portrayed in a negative light. These videos, often YouTube Shorts, have millions of views. Take, for example, this viral clip by YouTuber fadithesavior, a

Livestreams and Viral Videos Are Making Creators Rich While Fueling Anti-Homeless Fear, Misinformation, and Punitive Policy Why do creators film misery? Because it pays extraordinarily well. There are nine livestream feeds operating simultaneously, showing the streets of Kensington 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Thousands of viewers log in and leave comments, not

Groundbreaking Research Reveals How False Assumptions and Harmful Labels Distort Public Understanding and Block People from Real Housing Help “I was trying to find shelters, and someone gave me the number to a rehab place, even though I have never been on drugs. Why?” Asked an anonymous Reddit user in a thread that sparked a

As Housing Costs Skyrocket, Voters and Advocates Demand Action to Keep Families Housed Advocates are calling on municipal leaders in Los Angeles to adopt a living wage of $30 an hour for some workers to help fight the rising tide of housing instability and homelessness. Affordability and the cost of living have been two of

How America’s Restroom Shortage Fuels Humiliation, Poor Health, and Criminalization Instead of Dignity and Solutions We’ve all had that time in our lives when we really had to use the bathroom, and we had no place to go. Perhaps you were stuck in traffic somewhere off the beaten path when nature called, and a long

Across the U.S., Parents Are Losing Custody Not for Abuse, But Because They Can’t Afford a Place to Live Across the country, child welfare agencies are removing children from their parents solely because the family is homeless or facing eviction—even though federal law explicitly states that poverty is not grounds for removal. Multiple investigations, including