Down But Not Out is the 11th top rated homeless blog on the web

I am extremely proud to announce that my website, http://www.DownButNotOut.ca has recently been selected as the 11th best blog about homelessness on the internet. It is a great honour to be judged wothy of membership in the group of 50 top blogs on the web and to be associated with such influential organizations as

Change.org which in my opinion produces the finest commentary on the topic in its End Homelessness blog.

Top 50 Blogs for Better Understanding Homelessness | Masters In Public Health

The 50 Best Homelessness Blogs | End Homelessness | Change.org

Compiled by Masters In Public Health

and reported by End Homelessness | Change.org, Down But Not Out ranks number 11 in a recently compiled study of blogs about homelessness.

Top 50 Blogs for Better Understanding Homelessness

You may think you understand the plight of the homeless person you’ve passed on the street. But after reading these top 50 blogs for better understanding homelessness, you may have a completely changed opinion. Homeless people are blogging. Their friends and advocates are blogging. And they’re trying to get the word out that this segment of the population is tired of being ignored. They are tired of being invisible. You will be stunned by some of the things you hear and see here. Here are the top 50 blogs we have found for better understanding homelessness:

Blogs By Real Homeless People

1. The Homeless Guy : Kevin Barbieux, a resident of Nashville, is considered “chronically homeless” when you read the HUD definition. He has been off the streets for over a year, this time around, and he blogs about being homeless.

2. SLO Homeless : Michael writes about the experience of being homeless in the San Luis Obispo region of California. He was homeless for a little over two years.

3. Vagabond : Kerry Echo chronicles her life as a homeless person and her journey in and out of different jobs.

4. Humble Harv’s Homeless Handbook : Harv offers guidance on topics such as hygiene and where to sleep.

5. The Homeless President’s Blog : Written by Pete, a man who has been homeless since the age of twelve, this blog contains political commentary.

6. Pads Chicago : The homeless in suburban Chicago have a voice with this blog written by an actual homeless woman. She struggles with medical and mental health issues, but is not a drug addict.

7. Michaelann Land : Michaelann’s blog focuses on news from the homeless community and thoughts on politics.

8. Wandering Scribe : Anya Peters spent nine months living in her car. She also started a blog, which was followed by many, many readers. Now, she has published a book and she is arguably the most famous ex-homeless person in the UK.

9. Homeless in Abbotsford, BC : James W. Breckenridge blogs about the homeless life and Canadian government.

10. The Adventures of Homeless Girl : Homeless Girl lives in England. She and her family are trying to figure out how to survive. Her blog is full of emotion and advice for people who are trying not to become homeless.

11. Girl’s Guide to Homelessness : A “typical Orange County girl” finds herself homeless. She blogs about it, becomes an authority on homelessness activism, gets offered a book deal, and keeps living in her trailer.

12. Down But Not Out : This is Ronzig’s blog. Ronzig is an ex-crack addict and ex-homeless person who lived on the street in Toronto for over ten years. Now he’s an activist.

13. The Joys Of Being Homeless : Simply fascinating reading. This is a survival guide for anyone who is homeless. Covers everything from shelter to food (how to kill, clean, and prepare pigeons, for instance.)

14. Homeless Family’s Blog : This informative blog is written by a person whose family spent two years out on the street.

15. Homeless Tom : Tom Armstrong is a Buddhist thinker and homeless person living on the streets of Sacramento. He blogs about his experiences, even his stays in the county jail.

16. Homeless, Not Nameless : The author of this blog writes to bring awareness of the character and personality that each person has. Even a homeless person.

17. Homeless Nation : This is not a blog, but a social network created by and for homeless people. Reading the message boards will truly give you insight on how it feels to be homeless.

18. Homeless Man Speaks : Philip in Toronto records the words of a homeless man named Tony and posts them here. Fascinating look into the perspective of someone who has been homeless for many years.

Blogs By Organizations Who Help

19. National Alliance to End Homelessness : This nonprofit, nonpartisan organization is dedicated to reducing homelessness in the United States. They blog about public policy that affects the homeless.

20. Hope For the Homeless : The Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida blogs about current events, specific needs within the community, and statistics regarding the level of homelessness and shelter usage in their region. They hope to dispel myths about “the kind of person” who is homeless.

21. Signs of Life in New Orleans : This blog of UNITY Outreach in New Orleans depicts the daily struggles of a relief organization as they attempt to get homeless people out of abandoned buildings and into proper homes.

22. Click Homeless : Click Homeless is a site that supports homeless bloggers, as well as non-homeless bloggers writing on homelessness.

23. People’s Place Seattle : People’s Place Seattle began when 40 people and four dogs needed a place to stay, and the community responded. Their blog details their efforts as well as brings together news about homelessness.

24. Homeless Help Network : Homeless Help Network was started as a way to connect needy people in the Twin Cities area with information and resources to help them avoid becoming homeless.

25. Homeless in LA : This is an excellent blog with resources that homeless people in Los Angeles can really use, such as a list of restaurants that will accept your food stamp card.

26. NY Coalition for the Homeless : This strong public policy blog also takes on common myths about homelessness; for example, that it is a jobs problem.

27. Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign : This group demands that Washington guarantee heathcare and housing to everyone in the United States.

28. Portland Rescue Mission : Portland Rescue Mission’s blog has video of people who have changed their lives as well as news about current events.

29. Stone Soup Station : Stone Soup Station is Steven Samra’s blog about issues affecting the homeless. A former addict and homeless person, he now works to help others in that situation .

30. Star of Hope Mission Blog : This is one of several blogs on the Star of Hope Mission website. Star of Hope is a Christian homeless mission in Houston, Texas.

31. Dallas Homeless Network : Dallas Homeless Network provides advocacy and updates for the homeless community in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex area.

32. Cleveland Homeless : This is the official blog for the Coalition for the Homeless in Cleveland. The authors write thought-provoking articles on public policy as it relates to poverty.

33. Invisible Homeless Kids : Diane Nilan is a fierce advocate for the over 1.5 million children in America who are currently homeless. Failed by the system, many slip through the cracks and grow up destined for a life on the fringes of society.

34. Voices From The Field : This is the blog of the Homelessness Resource Center, a part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. There are many resources here for homeless service professionals.

35. Arise For Social Justice : Arise For Social Justice is a low-income rights organization with many members, some of whom are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

36. NH Under The Bridge : NH Under The Bridge was begun by a group of formerly homeless people to spotlight the conditions that the homeless in New Hampshire face each day. They operate under the principle that everyone has basic human rights.

37. Picture The Homeless : Begun by and for homeless people in New York City, Picture The Homeless is a group dedicated to social justice for the homeless, opposed to laws that criminalize homelessness, and working toward reducing homelessness.

38. End Homelessness : This change.org blog keeps readers up to date on news affecting the homeless population as well as ways to help.

39. Project Homeless Connect : Project Homeless Connect is San Francisco’s resource that helps the thousands of homeless San Franciscans get the health care and services they need to survive. Their site features videos, photos and news.

Blogs By Observers of the Homeless Community

40. Hardly Normal : Mark in Los Angeles blogs about social change, homelessness, and other important topics on this website.

41. Squatter City : This fascinating blog is devoted to presenting the stories of squatters—people living on property that doesn’t belong to them.

42. Sans Houses : Sans Houses documents the homeless community in and around Nashville with photo and video.

43. Invisible People : A video producer uses his tools to interview real homeless people and to record their stories for the world to see. We may look at them and realize that they were once just like us.

44. News and Rants on Homelessness : The title of this blog pretty much says it all.

45. Joe Anybody Homeless Blog : “Joe Anybody” covers national news related to the homeless as well as Pacific Northwest stories. He is filled with compassion for the people who need the most help.

46. Poverty Insights : PATH Partners, a company that helps non-profit organizations mobilize effectively to help the homeless and others in need, publishes this thorough news blog.

47. Names Of The Homeless : Names of the Homeless is dedicated to presenting the stories of the people we pass by on the streets. One story at a time.

48. Faces of the Homeless : This blog is composed mostly of photos. Stunning, beautiful, sad, tragic photos of real homeless Americans.

49. On Homelessness In America : Ryan Garou writes about homelessness in America in this blog which is a companion to his upcoming book.

50. Shelters and Soup Kitchens : Since public libraries are open to everyone, and all of them have computers these days, it’s not hard to imagine a homeless person looking up his next meal from this list.

You can follow Ronzig on Twitter at...

http://twitter.com/#!/RonzigsGallery