Unseen and Uncounted: Indigenous Homelessness in California

"There are still tribes that don't have running water. There is no electricity. This is California, not a third-world country. It's in our backyard." Mariah McGill and Christine De Los Santos from Northern Circle Indian Housing Authority share a truth that most Americans don't know exists: the invisible crisis of indigenous homelessness. When they partnered with Mendocino County to actually count Native Americans experiencing homelessness, going where others never looked, to the storage containers, makeshift tents, and forgotten corners of reservations, they discovered that 37% of the homeless population was indigenous. They had been there all along. Just uncounted. This conversation goes beyond statistics. It's about elders living without dignity, about sovereignty that's been ignored, about 109 federally recognized tribes in California alone fighting for recognition. But it's also about hope. About housing that heals, that preserves language and culture, that wraps around people with traditional practices and community care. It's about building homes where Native people don't feel like they're in jail, where gardens grow traditional plants, where elders design spaces for elders. "Partner with the people you're looking to serve," Christine urges. "They are the experts." A conversation that will open your eyes to a crisis hiding in plain sight and to the indigenous leaders refusing to let their people remain invisible. More: From Encampments to Homes: How Dallas Is Solving Homelessness https://youtu.be/iG4afD_ycLk?si=TBS-G16xTpV3KiiR This Woman's Final Day of Homelessness Will Move You https://youtu.be/sZQLMnF_y8k?si=KzGX9RnRganzXrYR Why Mainstream Solutions Fail Indigenous Homelessness—And What Actually Works https://youtu.be/Q8ZxINKiBFY?si=pi4rj5eZFbEZ14py Executive producer: Mark Horvath Producer/editor/cinematographer: Alex Gasaway https://www.youtube.com/alexgasaway Associate producer: Erin McGinnis Created by: Alex Gasaway and Erin McGinnis YouTube Podcast https://shorturl.at/XciIu Apple Podcast https://apple.co/4cckQ86 Spotify https://spoti.fi/3XyM98c ================================== Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/c/invisiblepeople?sub_confirmation=1 Invisible People’s website: http://invisiblepeople.tv Support Invisible People: https://invisiblepeople.tv/donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://invisiblepeople.tv/email Invisible People’s Social Media: https://www.youtube.com/invisiblepeople https://twitter.com/invisiblepeople https://www.instagram.com/invisiblepeople https://www.facebook.com/invisiblepeopletv https://www.tiktok.com/@invisiblepeopletv About Invisible People There is a direct correlation between what the general public perceives about homelessness and how it affects policy change. Most people blame homelessness on the person experiencing it instead of the increasing shortage of affordable housing, lack of employment, childhood trauma, lack of a living wage, or the countless reasons that put a person at risk. This lack of understanding creates a dangerous cycle of misperception that leads to the inability to effectively address the root causes of homelessness.