New “Street Paper” Provides Economic Opportunity for Those in Need

The worst thing about being homeless isn’t living outside. It’s being treated like you are less than — or like you don’t even exist. A new local initiative, Dignity City, is working to create immediate low-barrier work opportunities across Washington State while reducing the isolation and stigma of homelessness.

​Dignity City is a monthly news magazine that plans to launch street sales in Tacoma this March. Homeless people and others who need flexible work on their own terms will soon have new opportunities to earn their way to success. 

Vendors purchase the magazine at cost and sell it for the two dollar cover price, often receiving an additional tip. Street papers all over the world — from Seattle’s Real Change to Japan’s The Big Issue — engage a caring community to support self-help for people in need.

The vision for Dignity City is ambitious: create a regional street paper to support a regional approach to ending homelessness; nurture local partnerships that can support Dignity City street vendors in multiple communities; keep it simple; keep it real.

Dignity City supports practical, evidence-based approaches to homelessness and engages supporters across the political divide. Their focus is on what’s most important: provide economic opportunity for those in need, increase solution-oriented community engagement, and ensure that people who struggle for survival are both seen and heard.

Dignity City plans to bring life-changing opportunities to Tacoma, Olympia, Spokane and beyond. You can help them meet their start-up goal of raising $75,000 by donating at this link. 

Read more about this initiative in the Tacoma News Tribune.