Seeing Berlin Through A Homeless Person's Eyes

There are an estimated 10,000 homeless people in Berlin. Meet a former one, Dieter Bichler, who now gives tours to those hoping to gain an alternative glance at Germany's capital. Through visits to places that remind him of his time on the streets, Dieter shares tales of friendship and comradery, drugs and death, all told with a refreshing sense of humor.

"Nobody help me ever. I don't believe this word."

Published on Mar 31, 2014
UPDATE NOVEMBER 2017
I have not seen Lukasz since the night we filmed him in 2011. He told me he was moving on from Manchester as it was only a stop off on his journey. (Mike Staniforth, YouTube)

Repicturing Homeless | Getty Images & fiftyfifty

"Repicturing Homeless is a project from Getty Images partnered with fiftyfifty, a street magazine sold by homeless people.
We worked with the homeless at fiftyfifty as models to shoot stock images. In the photos, we transformed the homeless into common people from different paths of life: businessman, designer, chef, tourist, and so on. We shot the most downloaded themes on Getty, and all profits from the photos will go to help the homeless people at fiftyfifty.
People always see homeless people as sad, poor and inferior. This is also what the media and most homeless campaigns have been re-affirming. This project is aimed to change such perceptions, shedding light on the hopeful side of the homeless, and helping people see their possibilities."
Repicturing Homeless

"We recognised the role we can play in helping shift the negative stigma around the homeless. So this partnership is an opportunity to drive postive change for this community." 
Paul Foster, Senior Director Creative Imagery, Getty Images

::: More: Getty Images & fiftyfifty

Lexsis and her three wishes

The future? "I live it day by day."

Tears of Joy

"An 8-year-old boy got the surprise of his life! He was so excited, he started weeping. So, why the tears of joy? Little Daeyrs just got his own bed, for the very first time. He and his mom were homeless and living in shelters. All he ever wanted was his own home with his own bed. With the help of the nonprofit, Humble Design, he got his wish. Sleep well, buddy!"

Girls Sleeping Rough in Brighton

Around one in eight rough sleepers in England are women. Their average lifespan is 43.

"We are going up to the graveyard, so I can go to bed. So I can make my bed in a tent with the dead people. It's a lot safer than the streets itself."

"If I could go back to jail tommorow, I would. Because everyone's friendly in there, really nice. And yeah, you get your three meals a day. You get your medication on time, same time everyday. ... It's cosy. I've got my own room, my own bed."

"She can't survive out there. (...) She's only a baby."

Colourful Affordable Housing for Single Adults and the Once Homeless

"New York studio Alexander Gorlin Architects has completed a Bronx apartment block with small studios for low-income tenants, including those who were once homeless."

"The building is intended for permanent occupation by single working adults who earn between $18,000 and $35,280 per year (£13,560 and £25,578). The project specifically targets formerly homeless individuals who are high-cost recipients of Medicaid assistance – a government social healthcare program that is available to impoverished US residents.

The building contains 154 rental units, all of which are studios that measure 300 square feet (28 square metres)."

The architect clad the 12-storey, L-shaped structure in charcoal grey brick. To add visual interest, the studio placed anodised aluminium panels on the facade that are coloured red, orange, yellow and blue.

The history of the neighbourhood influenced the colour palette. In the 1700s, the site was a farm owned by developer Lewis Morris, one of the signers of America's Declaration of Independence. "The colours of the facade are from the Colonial Era, to recall this past history," said Alexander Gorlin Architects, a noted studio in New York that was founded in 1987.

Stairs and a wheelchair ramp, both made of concrete, lead to the building's front entrance.

While conceiving the interior, the studio placed "equal emphasis on private rooms and communal spaces". Amenities include a large patio and garden, a roof terrace, a computer lab and a laundry facility. The architect also incorporated a fitness room and bicycle storage."

(Dezeen)

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Photograph via Gorlin Architects

Take a Closer Look: Mannequins Draw Attention to Homeless Youth

There are about 1.3 million homeless youth in the U.S. (Upworthy). "They have always been there but they've hidden in the shadows – or you just discounted them. A unique public service campaign sponsored by the child welfare agency Bellefaire JCB hopes to change that by making homeless teens harder to ignore." The agency is placing life-size teen mannequins in Cleveland's city centre (Cleveland).

Liverpool: Relief of Poverty

UpRising in Action is a community of young campaigners that aims to "raise awareness of the causes and effects of homelessness, and will offer advice and support materials to homeless people in Liverpool city centre, with the help of local charities" (UpRising), as well as in Bedford/Luton, Birmingham, London, Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent.

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Photograph via Wikipedia

Jubiläumsfest: Der Grazer Hauptplatz wird zum VinziPlatz

"Am 24. und 25. Juni 2016 verwandeln wir den Grazer Hauptplatz in den „VinziPlatz“. Am Freitag werden um 10.00 Uhr die Jubiläumstage offiziell eröffnet. Unter dem Motto „Gib uns deinen Knödel“ können Sie sich kulinarisch verwöhnen lassen und bekommen gleichzeitig einen Einblick in die vielfältige Arbeit der VinziWerke. Den Höhepunkt bildet der offizielle Festakt am Samstag, bei dem die Arbeit der letzten 25+1 Jahre gebührend gefeiert wird. Im Anschluss startet unser traditionelles VinziFest – dieses Mal am Grazer Hauptplatz.

Wir freuen uns, Sie als Gast bei der 25+1 Jahrfeier der Vinzenzgemeinschaft Eggenberg empfangen zu dürfen.

Feiern Sie mit uns und nehmen Sie an unseren Jubiläumstagen teil, damit wir weiterhin täglich 450 Menschen mit einem warmen Bett und 1400 Bedürftige mit Lebensmitteln versorgen können."

(Vinzenzgemeinschaft)

Programm:

- Freitag, 24.06.2016 „Gib uns deinen Knödel“, 10.00-22.00 Uhr

10:00 Uhr Eröffnung der Jubiläumstage
10:00-15:00 Uhr Präsentation der VinziWerke und Knödelfest
15:00-22:00 Uhr Benefizkonzert mit A gentle Conversation, the uptown monotones, Robi Faustmann und Ricardo Ritalini

- Samstag, 25.06.2016 „Setz‘ di her do neben mir“ 11.00-18.00 Uhr

11:00 Uhr offizieller Festakt, moderiert von Petra Rudolf anschließend VinziFest mit GRATIS Mittagessen Buntes Programm mit Udo Wenders, der Marktmusikkapelle Kirchbach, Oliver Haidt und Duo Kopa

(Blounge)

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Foto via Peter Eder

Renovating Motels, Giving Homeless Veterans in Los Angeles a New Start in Life

"In 2015, Los Angeles declared a state of emergency because of their "unprecedented and growing homelessness crisis."

Since then, L.A. city and county agencies have executed a series of actions, and while homelessness overall has had a slight rise in 2016 — not quite 6% over 2015 figures — the number of veterans without homes has gone down 30%, meaning over 1,200 have obtained places to live.

L.A.'s most recent undertaking is different, though: The city will convert old motels into 500 permanent apartments for veterans who are homeless.

If everything goes according to plan, the 500 units, built with help from Step Up, will be available for veterans to move into by January 2017. Coupled with the 300 units the city already provides to homeless residents, L.A. is on track to create 800 permanent housing units annually." (Upworthy)

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Photograph via Shangri-La Construction

Le Carillon. Chacun Pour Tous... When Shops Mark Their Windows for the Homeless in Paris

"Le Carillon est un projet solidaire qui s'appuie sur les particuliers et commerçants d'un quartier afin de soutenir les personnes à la rue."  Le Carillon

Louis-Xavier Leca founded the Le Carillon project in Paris last November. In the meantime, he has partnered with about 70 small businesses in the area to distribute stickers indicating their support of needy Parisians. What this beautiful project is about?

"Each sticker features an icon representing a free service, from a hot meal or glass of water to a haircut or restroom access. At the local market Les poireaux de Marguerite, homeless residents can reheat a dish or make an emergency phone call. And at the tea room/coffee shop Chez toi ou chez moi, they can charge cell phones, use a first aid kit, or send mail for free.

In a city with a skyrocketing homeless population, this act of charity couldn’t come at a better time. By connecting local shops to underserved residents, Le Carillon helps to foster a much-needed sense of community. Before Le Carillon officially began in November, Leca says, many shopkeepers wanted to help their homeless neighbors, but didn’t know how to reach out. While certain establishments were already opening their doors to the homeless by offering free coffee or restrooms, homeless residents had no way to distinguish between a place that would accept or reject them." (CityLab)

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Photograph via Faiseurs du Boite

Mobile Laundry for the Homeless

“A lot of people thought we were crazy, that it was impossible. We were told that putting a washing machine in the back of a van would never work ... With all the moving parts, they’re not designed to be there! Then there was the issue of bringing water and power to different locations, and making the whole thing easy for volunteers to operate. We also heard things like, ‘Homeless people will never wash their clothes in a park’.” Nicholas Marchesi

"Orange Sky Laundry" is a free laundry service for homeless people. The service kicked off in October 2014 and was founded by Nicholas Marchesi and Lucas Patchett who as students used to help out with their school's charity food vans. Now, 450 volunteers support them in six Australian cities (The Guardian). Two social entrepreneurs in their early 20s make a difference and give homeless people some dignity by washing their clothes.

"Our goal was to connect communities, raise health standards for the homeless and improve the lives of others." Nicholas Marchesi

“There’s a mood of negativity and hostility towards the homeless community. We try to provide a more social, uplifting experience, and I think having fresh faces for our homeless friends to talk to helps.”
Lucas Patchett

“We want to challenge the perceptions people have of our homeless friends. We don’t want to make a distinction, we’re all just people.” Nicholas Marchesi

More about this beautiful service: Orange Sky Laundry

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Photograph via Imgur

Hostile Architecture

Hostile architecture is ..."the design of buildings or public spaces in a way which discourages people from touching, climbing or sitting on them, with the intention of avoiding damage or use for a different purpose."
MacMillan Dictionary

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photograph via Google+

Borderlife

Biancoshock's recent installation in Milan is called Borderlife - a social commentary on people who are forced to live in extreme conditions such as hundreds of people in Bucharest living underground in sewers. Small holes are wallpapered and tiled looking like fully-furnished rooms.
"If some problems cannot be avoided, make them comfortable."
Biancoshock

About Biancoshock (literally from the artist's website)

Biancoshock lives and works in Milan, Italy. For a very long time he didn’t consider himself as an artist, until, one day he decided to understand the purpose and the nature of his work. Soon becomes clear that there is no existing "category" that can fit his urban inclination, typical of the Urban Art, and his expressive process which is very close to the classic activist and performative art; this is the reason why he decides to give birth to EPHEMERALISM. Ephemeralism has the purpose of producing works of art that have to exist briefly in space but limitlessly in time through the photography, the video and the media. He has realized more that 650 interventions in the streets of Italy, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, England, Hungary, Lithuania, Malesia, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovak, Slovenia and Spain and he is not thinking about stopping.

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photograph via Biancoshock

Find Shelter Here

RainCity Housing, a non-profit organisation, teamed up with Spring Advertising in order to turn seven bus stop benches into billboards that promote their mission to provide housing for the homeless in Vancouver. They were, however, more than billboards as additional backboards could be flipped turning the bench into a covered place to sleep at night. The billboards were taken off the streets after a while but surely managed to draw international attention to the cause. And they were a clear message considering what was happening in London at the same time in 2014: Laying down hostile "anti-homeless spikes" (that sparked outrage and were partly removed after petitions against them) outside buildings to keep homeless people from sleeping there (Business Insider).
By the way, another bench installation read "This is a bench" during daytime and "This is a bedroom" at nights. The glow-in-the-dark words used UV rays from sunlight (News Mic).

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Photo via Media2

Eine Pop-up Siedlung für Wohnungslose

“I think it’s great and a really good idea that they’re providing a safe home for homeless people. Too much of London is being taken over by big developments that don’t benefit the community.”

Im Osten Londons (Lewisham) - wo die Wohnkosten allein im letzten Jahr um 15% gestiegen sind - entsteht "UK's first pop-up village", eine Antwort auf die Wohnsituation vieler Familien, die sich gezwungen sehen, in B&Bs zu leben. Betroffene Menschen können für einen Zeitraum von 18 bis 24 Monaten in das "Pop-up village" ziehen. Dieses Projekt reagiert auf den rasanten Anstieg von Grundstücks-, Eigentum- und Mietpreisen und dem parallelen Abbau sozialen Wohnungsbaus. Allein in Lewisham stehen 9.135 Haushalte auf der Warteliste für Wohnungen, 540 von ihnen leben in B&Bs (The Guardian).

"We don’t want the temporary use to be something that happens and then ends when the regeneration happens, we want it to be the start of the regeneration."

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Foto via The Guardian