New Philadelphia newspaper produced by homeless people

Posted by Elizabeth Redman on December 16, 2009 at 1:14 PM

The launch of a new newspaper in the midst of a recession would usually raise some eyebrows. And the spokesperson's assertion that he wants the paper to go out of business as quickly as possible would ordinarily be met with downright disbelief.

But One Step Away is no ordinary newspaper. Instead, it's produced by homeless people who live at two large homeless shelters in Philadelphia.

One Step Away is a monthly 16-page tabloid, and features articles about homeless issues, as well as essays, poetry, horoscopes, and a children's page. The articles are written by homeless people, and even the children's page is written by children who live in homeless shelters, in contrast to many street papers that have professional editorial staff.

Homeless vendors will sell the publication, paying 25 cents per copy and charging $1, keeping the 75 cents difference.

This is the first homeless newspaper in Philadelphia. Street papers are common both in the U.S., though, where there are more than two dozen, and in other countries.

Circulation of some of these papers has even increased during the recession. Some papers have also reported an increase in vendors, which at first glance appears to be a sign of health for the publication, but which really indicates the increase in unemployment in difficult economic times.

The initial press run is sponsored by the local non-profit Resources for Human Development. Its marketing and communications director, Eddie Byrd, said that the paper would not brag about how long it had been in print.

"We want to kill off One Step Away as quickly as we possibly can," he told CBS3, "because when we've done that there is no more homelessness, there is no more lack of affordable housing in Philadelphia."

Sources: Editor and Publisher, CBS3, Resources for Human Development