The COVID-19 outbreak has become a nationwide public health emergency in America, and in these times, it’s more important than ever that everyone has a place to call home. At a moment’s notice, anybody can lose their home — and all semblance of stability. OZY's original immersive series, "No Place Like Home," captures a few of the human faces behind the crisis proving to be a defining issue of our time.
| | | America's unique homeless crisis is colliding with the coronavirus outbreak, and the forecast is dire. For Americans with a place to live, the recommendation to start practicing aggressive social distancing to contain the spread of the coronavirus is difficult enough. But for Americans experiencing homelessness, it’s impossible. Experts are warning about the risk of contracting this virus in high-density environments. One has to look no further for a place where people are forced into close quarters than a homeless shelter — where residents live in crowded conditions and sleep in immediate proximity to one another. People living in shelters have the lowest degree of social distancing, says Dr. Nima Afshar, an emergency physician at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and associate professor at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF). They could also face prolonged exposure and are less likely to get care for early symptoms. In terms of acquiring the virus, “it’s safer to be living outside, from a public health standpoint,” if people can tolerate it, Afshar says. | | READ NOW |
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| | | | Homeless veterans often struggle even more than others because of the support structure they suddenly lack. This community-oriented plan could fix that. In 2011, Brandonn Mixon was discharged from service in Afghanistan after sustaining a shoulder and spinal injury. But soon after his return to the U.S., he was dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts. He felt left behind. Mixon met others like him, and, in 2015, he co-founded the Veterans Community Project (VCP) in Kansas City. The flagship offering? An innovative strategy aimed at ending homelessness among veterans that’s inspiring similar initiatives from New York to Oregon. America has nearly 38,000 veterans experiencing homelessness. Many of them suffer from post-traumatic stress that makes it hard for them to adjust in traditional homeless shelters. That’s why VCP is building a veterans’ “village” — a community of furnished tiny homes, each 240 square feet — meant as transitional housing for former soldiers. | | READ NOW |
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| | | If you're going to spend 30 days at home by yourself or with the kids, you're going to need some quality supplies. |
| | | A deep dive into the many facets, and faces, of homelessness in America. |
| | | From coronavirus coping to hijab hacking, here’s the best of OZY this week. |
| | | Pathbreaking women have been written out of Africa's history books. Animators and visual artists are now bringing them alive for a new generation. |
| | | Getting people inside isn't enough. |
| | | One of America's most serious housing crises isn't where you would expect it. |
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