“I Have Lost Everything”: The Toll of Cities’ Homeless Sweeps by Asia Fields, Nicole Santa Cruz, Ruth Talbot and Maya Miller, design by Ruth Talbot

by Asia Fields, Nicole Santa Cruz, Ruth Talbot and Maya Miller, design by Ruth Talbot
A record number of Americans are living outside. Cities have responded by removing encampments from public spaces, a practice commonly referred to as “sweeps.” In the process, workers often take people’s belongings — including important documents, survival gear and irreplaceable mementos.

Over and over, people across the country told ProPublica they were devastated by such losses. We gave them notecards so they could explain in their own words how the sweeps have affected them.

Here are some of their stories. by Asia Fields, Nicole Santa Cruz, Ruth Talbot and Maya Miller, design by Ruth Talbot
A record number of Americans are living outside. Cities have responded by removing encampments from public spaces, a practice commonly referred to as “sweeps.” In the process, workers often take people’s belongings — including important documents, survival gear and irreplaceable mementos.

Over and over, people across the country told ProPublica they were devastated by such losses. We gave them notecards so they could explain in their own words how the sweeps have affected them.

Here are some of their stories. 

I’ve had so many blankets, sleeping bags, tarps, clothes, shoes, hobby items (such as coloring cooks, coloring pencils, books, notebooks, pens, pencils, medical supplies, food, back packs, tents, wallets, I.D.’s, money, cell phones, and other gifts that were very sentimental to me and it has impacted me by causing me to be more depressed, suicidal, and less out going than I used to be. I mostly just stay at camp waiting for the dreaded we got 15 mins. to pack and get out.

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