As the homeless population is rising, and it is becoming more of a crisis, hostile architecture is becoming more prevalent. Homeless people are treated very poorly, either through this hostile architecture, or through interactions with everyday people.

According to the Reno Gazette Journal, there were 226 homeless people living outside of shelters in Reno in 2019, and a total of 1,256 people were accounted for, in and out of shelters. This shows that there is a severe homelessness crisis in Reno, but also on a larger scale, that needs to be taken care of. Most times, there is a very negative stigma around the homeless population that furthers them from getting help. Homeless people are treated very inhumanely and with a lot of disrespect, from some of society. An example of this would be hostile architecture. 

This architecture can be seen in the form of bars that separate benches, and even spikes on concrete. Not only does this architecture look very unappealing to the eye, but it also serves a cruel purpose. Putting money into architecture that deters homeless people is wasteful and evil, as it can affect their lives in extreme ways. When there are things such as spikes on a place that could be used for sleeping, this affects a homeless person’s life, as they can now not sleep there. Everyone deserves to be able to sleep comfortably, and a lot of times, through hostile architecture, this right is taken away from homeless people. 

Homeless people have a very negative stigma that we need to work against. People have this idea that homeless people are lazy, or should try to get a job, but a lot of the time they can’t help it. According to the Homeless Hub, “homelessness, in turn, amplifies poor mental health. The stress of experiencing homelessness may exacerbate previous mental illness and encourage anxiety, fear, depression, sleeplessness and substance use.” This shows that homeless people are at a greater risk of experiencing poor mental health, which can sometimes make it impossible to do everyday things, even for people who have a house and resources. People are people no matter their situation, and they  deserve to be treated with respect and kindness.

Homeless people should be helped by everyday people, and the use of hostile architecture should be put to an end, as it shouldn’t have even been built in the first place. A project that demonstrates immense amounts of help for homeless people is the Reno Burrito Project, who roll and give 200 burritos to people in need every Sunday. This project has also provided extra kindness and help to homeless people by offering them hotel rooms. People don’t have to do something as extravagant as this to be a good person. Simply greeting someone, or giving them the extra cash in your pocket could mean the world.