Oftentimes, we do not understand the true definition of homelessness. We may think that homelessness is sitting around asking for money or digging out of the trash for food. However, being homeless may be more or less than not having a home and begging for money. For some, it is not having a permanent home or not having a true identity. It is also frequent that people have become homeless because they lost their job or was in debt. The article, “Tapestry of Space: Domestic Architecture and Underground Communities in Margaret Morton’s Photography of a Forgotten New York,” written by Irina Nersessova reveals how Morton’s pictures display the ways of living of homeless people. The author talks about how the men and women who temporarily live in shanties are able to obtain a sense of space and be themselves. Throughout the article, Nersessova claims that the people who lived in the shelters only used products that were left around the areas in which they stayed. They tried not to use the materials to hurt the environment but instead lived in an isolated home away from the rest of the community. The troubles that these homeless people had to face were situations such as locked up public areas. Places like parks, tunnels, and more were blocking these people out to “bring in the wealthy, and attract tourists” (Nersessova). The homeless were then seen as criminals even if they had not caused any crimes or violence in the public areas. There was no place to escape and most importantly, no place to sleep. It because an internal war for these homeless men and women to be able to stay in a place where they would not get banned from. Having people look down upon them and see them as criminals prevented them from being seen as who they truly are or wish to be. Nersessova clearly defines the struggles that these men and women have to face, reaching out to the public to share that change must be made in order to give these people a chance to have a home and have an identity.
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