By Heather Freinkel, HAC Managing Attorney
Visibility is a complicated issue for people experiencing homelessness. For those who are unsheltered, visibility can lead to complaints by businesses and housed neighbors who demand that local authorities take action to harass and evict them. But for those living in shelters, being less visible increases vulnerability to substandard living conditions, mistreatment, or simply being ignored in one’s time of need. (For examples of issues in California’s shelters, see this KQED article1https://www.kqed.org/news/12032918/california-considers-more-homeless-shelter-oversight-after-calmatters-investigation.)
Amid the often vicious political debates about what causes homelessness and what should be done about it, the individual experiences and personalities of those experiencing homelessness can easily get lost in the shuffle. While the media, service providers, and the public struggle over how they view and understand homelessness, it seems worthwhile to also explore and honor how people experiencing homelessness view and understand themselves. In this time of crisis, more than ever, it is important to recognize and embrace the fact that we are all still human beings, each with our unique charms and quirks.
Resident at Eddie’s Place. All photos credit Heather Freinkel.
With this appreciation and recognition at heart, I felt deeply compelled to launch this photography project to provide free professional quality portraits to residents and staff of local shelters and permanent housing sites. The vision of the project is to shoot the portraits with studio backdrops and lighting and deliver them in both digital and print formats, so that participants can use them as they wish – whether that means keeping them for themselves to simply reflect on their life and accomplishments, sharing them with friends and family, or using them for social media or professional purposes. Delivering prints in addition to the digital files ensures that the pictures will be accessible without the need for a phone, computer, or the ability to use electronic devices.
Staff member at Hope Center
I have worked at the Homeless Action Center since 2011, and over the years I have built strong relationships and connections with people experiencing homelessness, as well as staff of other agencies who all play important roles in this work. Combining my creative and technical photography skills with my experience and networks as a service provider, I have been able to make this project a reality.
Resident at Eddie’s Place
In 2024, I planned events at The Hope Center2https://insighthousing.org/what-we-do/the-hope-center-berkeley/ in Berkeley and at Eddie’s Place3https://www.cardeahealth.org/our-program in Oakland. The Hope Center has permanent housing, a men’s shelter, and hot meals daily onsite. Eddie’s Place is a medical respite program in a former hotel, where individuals referred by street medicine teams or hospitals stay temporarily during periods of medical recovery or vulnerability. I chose to reach out to these sites first because they both have a welcoming atmosphere, where staff and residents alike seem to appreciate and respect one another.
Resident at Hope Center
Setting up lighting and background equipment, managing the flow of participants, ensuring the technical aspects of the photos are correct, and breaking down equipment is a ton of work, and I couldn’t have done it without help from volunteer collaborator Jesska Hughes, and HAC intern Ethan Reilly. Despite being physically and mentally demanding, taking these pictures was incredibly fun. I can’t overstate how much I enjoyed getting to listen to stories and joke around with the people who I photographed while we tried out different poses and lighting combinations. As many of us know, having your picture taken can feel extremely vulnerable. Everyone who participated brought so much personality, style, and grace. It has truly been a privilege to participate in documenting it all.
Resident at Eddie’s Place
While organizing and editing the images, I have wondered many times how so many people can look so incredible in their photos. The people who have participated so far have been absolutely overflowing with charisma. The images exceed what I thought I was capable of capturing as an artist. The magic comes from the personal brilliance of the participants. In early February of this year, I returned to Eddie’s Place to deliver the print copies of the portraits. The residents’ responses were encouraging and emotional in a way I had not anticipated. One resident, when I handed him his envelope of photos, exclaimed “That’s me?” over and over, almost crying with joy. I felt lucky to be there in the moment when he got to recognize how vibrant and stylish he looked.
Resident at Eddie’s Place
In addition to helping organize and manage the events, several staff members at both the Hope Center and Eddie’s Place also participated, which has made the project even more fun. I have really appreciated getting to build and deepen connections with other services providers, many of whom I continue to collaborate with in my day-to-day work at HAC. This project couldn’t exist without the enthusiasm and collaboration of onsite program staff.
Residents at Eddie’s Place
Moving forward, I hope to schedule return visits to the Hope Center and Eddie’s Place. I have also reached out to more service providers in hopes of expanding the project. If you are a resident or staff at a local housing or shelter site, or if you organize pop-up service fairs or any other homelessness resource, and would like to collaborate, please contact me at hfreinkel@homelessactioncenter.org
Additional images from the project are on view with permission from participants at https://dreamcameraphoto.mypixieset.com/