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67 Homelessness Innovations

From Guerilla Awareness Campaigns to Soup Kitchens for Pets

— January 12, 2012 — Social Good
The vast majority of you reading this post will never face homelessness, but the sad reality is that in the United States alone, over half a million people will face homelessness tonight. According the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, in 2009 about 672,000 people experienced homelessness each night, 42% of which had no shelter. 37% were families, most commonly single mothers with a child or two.

Fortunately we have seen an abundance of homelessness innovations geared at solving the issue in urban settings, empowering the homeless and giving the voice, and making nights on the street more bearable. Among the homelessness innovations are creative guerilla ads to drive awareness, soup kitchens for pets, barista training for homeless youth, buy-one-give one comforters, and an errand running service designed to employ the homeless. There is also plenty of photography, taken to share stories and drive awareness.
6.7
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
66
Social Street Papers
Social Street Papers
Real Issues Magazine Empowers Communities Marginalized by Poverty
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65
Challenge-Based Charity Sites
Challenge-Based Charity Sites
'Do Whatever It Takes' Site Has People Doing Anything for Pledges
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64
Homeless Errand Services
Homeless Errand Services
Task Turtle Lets the Homeless and Elderly Claim Odd Jobs
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63
Pioneering Apprenticeship Programs
Pioneering Apprenticeship Programs
Fifteen Restaurant Offers Opportunities to Disadvantaged Youth
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62
Indigent Interns
Indigent Interns
Elle Magazine Offers Internship to Homeless Girl
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61
Recyled Computer Abodes
Recyled Computer Abodes
Bill Thomson and Ken Gerberick Create a Tech-Inspired Homeless Shelter
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60
Education Springboards
Education Springboards
Juma Ventures Helps Youth in California Enter College
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59
Virtuously Veritable Dining
Virtuously Veritable Dining
The Hoxton Apprentice Serves Feel-Good Meals
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58
Homeless Internet Sensations
Homeless Internet Sensations
Panhandler Ted Williams Beats the Streets from One Viral Video
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57
Heartfelt Personalized Art Kits
Heartfelt Personalized Art Kits
'Chloe's Magic Box' by Samia Kallidis Gives Hope to Homeless Kids
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56
Homeless Public Transit
Homeless Public Transit
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Gives Homeless Free Rides
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55
Street-Smart Campaigns
Street-Smart Campaigns
The Homeless Banner Campaign by Garbergs Brings Shelter to Those in Need
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54
Charitably Chic Pieces
Charitably Chic Pieces
KNO Clothing is a One-for-One Donating Attire for Every Purchase Made
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53
Gourmet Do-Good Brownies
Gourmet Do-Good Brownies
Greyston Bakery is a Social Enterprise
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52
Pedal-Powered Libraries
Pedal-Powered Libraries
Street Books Delivers Literature to Portland's Homeless
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51
Microloans for Homelessness?
Microloans for Homelessness?
Beyond the Cardboard Shares Stories, Interviews and Resources
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50
Female-Focused Enterprises
Female-Focused Enterprises
Women's Bean Project Creates Jobs with Jewelry & Gourmet Food
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49
Vagabond Ventures
Vagabond Ventures
Swags for Homeless Supplies Displaced Residents with Mobile Housing
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48
Online Promos for Panhandlers
Online Promos for Panhandlers
"Pimp This Bum!" Helps Houston Homeless Man
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47
One for One Blankets
One for One Blankets
The Company Store Gives Comforters to Homeless Children
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46
Street Kid Barista Schools
Street Kid Barista Schools
Homeless Youth Get a Shot at Coffee-Making Jobs
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45
Foreign Homeless Photomentaries
Foreign Homeless Photomentaries
Christian Burkert Captures Homelessness in an Immaculate Culture
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44
Globetrotting Hobotography
Globetrotting Hobotography
Mike Stewart Photographs the World's Homeless
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43
Pavement Bedsheets (UPDATE)
Pavement Bedsheets (UPDATE)
The Le-Trottoir Lets You Experience Homelessness at Home
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42
Heartbreaking Homeless Robot Sculptures
Heartbreaking Homeless Robot Sculptures
'No-Botty' by David Emmite Predicts Bleak Machine Futures
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41
Compassion Through Metaphors
Compassion Through Metaphors
Brazilian Organization Uses Comparisons for the Homeless
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40
Graffitisements
Graffitisements
Street Art Used in Canadian Youth Services Centre Ads
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39
Traffic Cone Stages
Traffic Cone Stages
Hedgehog Concert Pavilion Raises Awareness to Youth Homelessness
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38
Heat Map of the Homeless
Heat Map of the Homeless
Can You Say Big Brother?
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37
Robots For The Homeless
Robots For The Homeless
Transformer Guerrilla Sleeping Spaces For the Shelterless
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36
Incisive Homeless Portraits
Incisive Homeless Portraits
Oak Thitayarak's 'Walk On By' Series is Poignantly Real
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35
Homeless-Care iPhone Apps
Homeless-Care iPhone Apps
The iHobo App Gives You a New Perspective on Street-Living
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34
Vagabond Villas
Vagabond Villas
Beautiful Spring Gardens is a Scintillating Shelter for the Homeless
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33
Homeless Bedtography
Homeless Bedtography
Ryann Ford's 'Where the Homeless Sleep' Shoot for Twelve Baskets Magazine
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32
AIDS Art Shelters
AIDS Art Shelters
The Social Art Box Project By Aakash Nihalani in NYC
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31
Penniless Promotions
Penniless Promotions
Homeless Branded as Living Advertisements
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30
Homeless Kidtography
Homeless Kidtography
'Abandoned' by Coral Fletcher Captures an Orphaned Child
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29
Homeless Emotionography
Homeless Emotionography
Keith Harris Looks Into the Souls of the Unfortunate in ‘On the Stre
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28
Homeless Photographers
Homeless Photographers
The Trecho 2.8 Project Turns the Lens onto Another Reality
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27
Soup Kitchens for Pets
Soup Kitchens for Pets
The Animal Board
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26
Guerrilla Campaign for Homeless
Guerrilla Campaign for Homeless
Vitae Shelters
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25
The Urban Shell Shelter for the Homeless
The Urban Shell Shelter for the Homeless
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24
Guerrilla Poverty Ads
Guerrilla Poverty Ads
Homeless Father Bob Bins
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23
Street Life Awareness Campaigns
Street Life Awareness Campaigns
Jan Moucha's Subversive Homelessness Posters
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22
A mobile "home" for the homeless
A mobile "home" for the homeless
they deserve some design too!
<
21
Activist Street Art
Activist Street Art
Fauxreel's 'The Unaddressed' Addresses Homelessness in Toronto
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20
Sinking Street Ads
Sinking Street Ads
The SAMU Social Campaign Brings Awareness to Homelessness
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19
Poverty-Focused Graffiti
Poverty-Focused Graffiti
Michael Aaron Williams Comments on the Global Homeless Epidemic
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18
Homeless Cocoon Shelters
Homeless Cocoon Shelters
This Nifty Hwang Kim Design Offers Discrete, Portable Outdoor Protection
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17
Versatile Homeless Shelters
Versatile Homeless Shelters
Veronika Scott Creates a Wearable Shelter for Those Who Need it Most
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16
Egg Shaped Eco Abodes
Egg Shaped Eco Abodes
Daihai Fei Builds a Sustainable Mobile Home in Beijing
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15
Humanizing Street Shoots
Humanizing Street Shoots
Alex Welsh Exposes the Struggles of the Impoverished
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14
Cardboard Box Beds
Cardboard Box Beds
Nikolay Suslov Designs for Nomads and the Homeless
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13
Homeless Hipster Shoots
Homeless Hipster Shoots
The Original Hipster is a Social Commentary on Wealth and Class
<
12
Real-Life Street Kid Portraits
Real-Life Street Kid Portraits
Photographer Adam Taylor Takes Portraits of NYC Street Kids
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11
Multipurpose Portable Shelters
Multipurpose Portable Shelters
The Famiglia Grande Helps Families on Their Road to Recovery
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10
Cuddly Collapsable Igloos
Cuddly Collapsable Igloos
The Georgi Djongarski I-Gloobox for Vagabonds is a Luxury Street Home
<
9
Guerilla Socialvertising
Guerilla Socialvertising
The Alex Seo Crisis Campaign Creates Awareness Through Startling Imagery
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8
Alternative Homeless Shelters
Alternative Homeless Shelters
The EDAR Project Provides Mini Mobile Units
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7
Inflatable Homeless Shelters
Inflatable Homeless Shelters
The ParaSITE Project
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6
Credit Crunch Prefabs
Credit Crunch Prefabs
The L41 Home is Designed for Uneasy Economic Times
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5
Tents on Wheels
Tents on Wheels
Journeyman Mobile Shelter Bicycle Trailers Offer Tow-Behind Shelter
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4
Mobile Homeless Homes
Mobile Homeless Homes
The Paul Elkins Shelter is Almost Too Cozy Looking
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3
Homeless Sleeping Pods
Homeless Sleeping Pods
The Urban Catepillar by Abby Brazier Shelters the Less Fortunate
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2
Cardboard Origami Shelters
Cardboard Origami Shelters
The Tine Hovsepian 'Cardborigami' Unfolds for the Homeless
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1
Sturdy Refugee Residences
Sturdy Refugee Residences
The NIDO Portable Shelter is an Efficient, Effective Homeless Refuge
<