Longtime journalist (and former Ashland mayor) Julie Akins took to the streets to talk to homeless people in 2018, collecting many stories of life on the streets, and what put people there. Then came the pandemic, and a greater sense of urgency, and ultimately, a return to the project for Akins and her now-employer, AllCare Health.
The more recent conversations show less hopefulness among homeless people, more frustration with systems set up to help them, and more senior citizens living without permanent shelter. Julie Akins talks to the Exchange about her research, the people it profiles, and the efforts to make their lives better.