Adults Experiencing Homelessness in the US-Mexico Border Region: A Photovoice Project.

Eva Margarita Moya,Brian Mattera,Jacqueline Loweree,Silvia M Chavez-Baray,Nahomi Martinez

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2017.00113

Eva Margarita Moya, Brian Mattera + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00113

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Abstract

Homelessness is a social, economic, and political crisis in the United States. In particular, the US–Mexico Border region has seen a surge of homelessness, specifically among veterans, women victims of intimate partner violence, and immigrants. In 2014, 12 persons in El Paso, TX, with experience of being homeless used the photovoice methodology to participate in a project titled, “The Voices and Images of the Residents of the Opportunity Center for the Homeless: A Visual Project on the Identity and Challenges Homeless Adults Face on the Border Region.” The project was led by faculty from the Department of Social Work and facilitated by graduate students from the Departments of Social Work, Sociology, and Anthropology at the University of Texas at El Paso. In partnership with the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, a community-based organization, a gallery of photographs with respective narratives was produced along with a video documentary. The participants identified four themes: broken systems, invisibility, opportunities and what works, and growth and determination. These themes represent participants’ life experiences with homelessness and their aspirations. In addition to the photo gallery, participants supported the development of a Call to Action asking the community, policy, and decision makers to commit to changing the current social, economic, and political conditions affecting individuals experiencing homelessness. The gallery, Call to Action, and overall participant experiences with photovoice were shared during local, regional, and national conferences and events, including three State of the Homeless Conferences led by the Opportunity Center for the Homeless in partnership with the university.

Highlights

Many take the concept of “home” for granted
Participants grouped photographs and accompanying stories into four categories that emerged from the discussion and participatory analysis: Broken Systems, Invisibility, Opportunities and What Works, and Growth and Determination
The findings may not be transferable to understanding the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness in the El Paso, TX, area and other US–Mexico border regions. This is the first study on homelessness using the photovoice method in the US–Mexico Border region

Summary

Introduction

Many take the concept of “home” for granted. Even those of us who are unsatisfied with our apartments or houses, and who dream of living elsewhere, usually have a place to sleep at night and space to call our own. For an alarming number of people ranging from infants to elderly, “home” is an elusive—and perceivably unachievable—dream These are the populations we refer to in this article as persons experiencing homelessness. Low income, limited education, unemployment, illness, disability, physical and mental health, and substance abuse, as well as experiences with child welfare and the justice system, can be understood as contributing biopsychosocial factors [1,2,3]. Given such complexity, effectively addressing the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness or otherwise inadequate housing requires a nuanced and multifaceted approach

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