08/31/2026
Do you see homelessness in this photo?
Probably not; and that's part of the problem.
Visibility is a terrible measure of whether homelessness occurs within a given community, but it is often the only metric used. How many times have you heard some iteration of, "That kind of thing just doesn't happen around here!"?
When many people try to conceptualize homelessness, they imagine something highly visible: tents lining city streets, people sleeping on sidewalks, or sprawling encampments occupying city parks.
But in rural communities, homelessness can look very different.
People experiencing unsheltered homelessness may be staying in places far removed from public view. Greater distances, limited transportation, and fewer nearby shelters, housing options, and supportive services can create additional barriers to finding and maintaining stable housing.
In a state as rural as West Virginia, visibility is not a reliable measure of need.
The absence of tents on your town's Main Street does not mean people aren't experiencing housing crises in your community.
Homelessness doesn't disappear when we leave the city limits. Sometimes, it simply becomes harder to see.
[Photo by Ireland Daugherty]
