A View from (Under) the Bridge

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-11-07 05:42:00 UTC
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On paper, Leonard Grant might say that a combination of unemployment, addiction, and mental health caused his homelessness. But that's not the whole story. Even these reasons for homelessness can have their own causes.

You see, Grant tragically lost his son in a car accident, which sent his world spiraling out of control. His depression turned into drug use, his drug use made him unemployable, and without an income, he lost his home.

Grant calls the past three years of his life "dead time." This is how long he has lived under a bridge in Knox County, Tennessee - homeless. He's trying to piece his life back together, but it isn't easy. He's working to gather the legal documents he needs to apply for housing and social security. His biggest hurdle? Getting a copy of his birth certificate.

This is the story behind Grant's reasons for homelessness. It's one example of a story that could never be captured by research or statistics as they are currently reported. This is the human element of homelessness, the kind of story we might be more likely to identify with, the kind that might allow us to feel someone else's pain.

It's so simple, but so easy to forget: nobody ever plans on living under a bridge in Tennessee.

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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