Category: Voices From The Street

Welcome to Voices From The Street, a new sub-series under Myths of Homelessness. Here, we amplify real stories from people with lived experience—raw, unfiltered insights that challenge stereotypes and humanize the crisis. We start with Beth (@voiceofbeth on Instagram/Threads), who shared this powerful audio message. Her experiences across multiple cities show homelessness isn’t defined by addiction, low intelligence, or pests—it’s about survival, resilience, and systemic gaps.

Follow Beth on Instagram and Threads

If you found this post from links in the Myths of Homelessness series Parts 2, 4, 7, 8, 12 (as they publish), be sure to give her a follow. If you have a story to share for the ‘Voices From The Street’ sub series of the ‘Myths of Homelessness’ series, you can opt to remain anonymous, send your submission to PutnamHomelessSolutions@gmail.com

Key Insights from Beth

Not Everyone Is an Addict

Beth is clear: “I, for one, am stone cold sober. I’m quite employable… I was leaving a bad situation and I thought that homelessness would be better for my mental health, and it is. So not everybody’s an addict.”

She explains how addiction can emerge later as a response to isolation and lack of options: “Eventually… you can veer off into that real easy because there’s not a lot you can do… you’re stuck… you might as well smoke a bowl… drink a beer.”

This aligns with research showing substance use is frequently a consequence of homelessness rather than the sole cause—many people begin or increase use as a way to cope with trauma, boredom, and limited access to support.

Intelligence, Creativity, and Resourcefulness

“A lot of people who have never been homeless equate homelessness with a lack of intelligence… the people that I have found to be homeless, they are some of the most amazing people… some of the most creative, some of the most brilliant…”

She shares the story of Shawn and Becky in the Biloxi/Gulfport area:

“It was a trash pile when they started… By the time this dude was done… it had like a little pathway… tiny sticks lining the pathway… old basin as handwashing station… these guys went above and beyond.”

Beth observes that many unhoused people demonstrate exceptional problem-solving and adaptability, often struggling to fit rigid social or work structures rather than lacking ability.

The Bed Bugs Myth and Shelter Realities

“Not all homeless people have bed bugs… Campers never have bed bugs because… bed bugs cannot survive… sunlight.”

In contrast, she describes severe infestations in shelters and low-budget hotels: “this place [in Miami]… was overrun with bed bugs… even in their… clothes closet… supposed to have been heat treated… thousands of dead bed bugs.”

This highlights a key reason many avoid shelters: fear of pests, strict rules (tiny lockers, item limits), and loss of possessions—especially for newly unhoused people who haven’t yet “gone through that purge… death of materialism.”

Dehumanization and Basic Dignity

“If you’ve never been homeless… you don’t know what it’s like when you can’t even use a restroom… people are mocking you… shitting behind a bush. Well, if you treated me like a human, I would have just used the toilet.”

Beth emphasizes that small acts of dignity (access to bathrooms, respect, resources) make an enormous difference.

Connecting to R.I.S.E. in Putnam County

Beth’s story underscores why structured, dignified solutions matter: safe bathrooms, case management to prevent isolation spirals, skills training to support employable people, and a welcoming hub that honors creativity and resilience. Florida’s 2025 Council on Homelessness Report shows real progress—9.13% statewide drop in homelessness and 19.1% decline in unsheltered cases through targeted partnerships and coordination. Our Program is built on the same principle: local, accessible resources that help neighbors rebuild stability in their own community.

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Transcription (Edited Lightly for Clarity/Flow)

[0:00] Hey, Red Conrad. This is for your myths of homelessness uh for the Putnam homeless solutions blog, vlog, whatever you’re doing over there. First of all, I want to say hi. I’m Beth from @voiceofbeth on Instagram. There are a lot of myths about the homeless. The one that really comes to mind for me personally is that everybody who’s homeless is an addict or like a prostitute or something like that. I, for one, am stone cold sober. I’m quite employable. You know, I’m just—I was leaving a bad situation and I thought that homelessness would be better for my mental health, and it is. So, not everybody’s an addict. Eventually, after a while of being homeless, you can veer off into that real easy because there’s not a lot you can do. Especially like if you don’t have access to public transportation, if you don’t have access to resources, if you’re just stuck homeless up in a mountain town, you’re screwed. You might as well smoke a bowl. You might as well, you know, whatever, smoke meth or whatever you’re doing, drink a beer. So not every homeless person is an addict.

[1:39] Also, a lot of people who have never been homeless equate homelessness with a lack of intelligence. In my experience—and I’ve been homeless in Dallas, I’ve been homeless in Miami, I’ve been homeless in Biloxi, I’ve been homeless in Gulfport. I’m now homeless in Oregon—the people that I have found to be homeless, they are some of the most amazing people that you will meet. Now, are there some jerks and stuff in there? Some real scary, creepy people? Yes. Is it the majority? Not necessarily. It depends on your area. It depends on who your little crowd is. I’ve met some of the most creative, some of the most brilliant homeless people that you wouldn’t even believe it.

[2:58] Specifically, there was this one couple, Shawn and Becky, that I met in the Biloxi Gulfport area. They—just like every other homeless person—they didn’t have anything to do all day. And, you know, you don’t just stay up on your phone. You’re on your phone a little bit, but you don’t stay up on your phone because you don’t know when you’re going to charge next, you know, unless you have a system down. So, they spent their time—Shawn specifically—built… It was a trash pile when they started, right? By the time this dude was done with it, this thing was amazing. Okay, it had like a little pathway. Little tiny sticks were lining the pathway. Like he used this old basin and like that was the handwashing station. Like these guys went above and beyond and they are only one example of so many that I have found across the nation that were just brilliant. Some of them painted shells to earn money. Some of them played music and busked. You know, they’re… Homeless people—when you see a homeless person, I can almost guarantee you they have a higher than average IQ. And that’s why they’re homeless, too, is because they can’t exist within a lot of the social structures we have today within working and stuff like that. Maybe they have a slight mental illness, but it’s manageable. You know what I mean? Like there—people just… on the homeless. I’m never going to understand it.

[4:21] Another myth is that homeless people have bed bugs. They do not. If you’re looking for bed bugs, they can have them, but they don’t come from campers. Like there’s different tiers of homelessness. And one tier is like where you have a tent set up in some wilderness part of an urban area or even a country area, a rural area. And those are like campers, right? The campers never have bed bugs because the bed bugs cannot survive in any type of sunlight. Now, if you live in a shelter—if you… there was a shelter I stayed at in Miami, I think called Chapman, I believe it’s 1550 North Miami Avenue or something like that. Anyway, this place was overrun with bed bugs, okay? Overrun. It was even in their stores of like they had like a clothes closet and this was supposed to have been heat treated, right? And it was supposed to have been sanitized or whatever they do with their processes there. It was not. Like I—my ex, I was with a dude at that time and my ex pulled out one of those braided belts from like the early 90s late 80s and it was just thousands of dead bed bugs in there. It was so gross. There was just bed bugs everywhere. So like shelters might have bed bugs. Campers don’t have them. Low budget hotels that you can stay pay by the week—they were in a Dallas hotel that I stayed at. It was so horrible. The bed bugs are just horrendous. So that’s another myth. Not all homeless people have bed bugs.

[5:45] Okay, they’re not addicts. They’re not stupid. They don’t have bed bugs. Not all of them anyway. And I’m trying to think what else do they have? What other myths are there? There’s so friggin many. You can’t just go to a shelter. And it’s not just about the lack of beds and funding. There’s a lot of things like you’re only allowed so many items. In some shelters you only have a teeny tiny locker. And if you just are newly homeless, you have a ton of stuff still. You haven’t gone through that purge of items since you haven’t gone through that death of materialism yet. So there’s a lot, there’s a lot of myths. If I think of more, Red Conrad, I will definitely send you some. I wish you well on your mission. I know you deserve it. I like to see these homeless organizations being run by somebody who actually was homeless. You know, I mean, even if you haven’t been, it’s good to have a heart for the homeless, but at the same time, like, if you’ve never been homeless, you don’t know what it’s like. You don’t know what it’s like when you can’t even use a restroom, you know? And like, people are mocking you for seeing you drive down the side of the road and you’re shitting behind a bush. Well, if you treated me like a human, I would have just used the toilet. You know what I mean? So, anyway, bye, Red Conrad. Edit this video how you need to. I hope you have a great rest of your day.

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