In the winter of 2025, the National Health Care for the Homeless Council engaged five lived-experience leaders in Nashville to explore challenges people experiencing homelessness face when trying to reduce or quit tobacco usage. Below are their photos and narratives. Learn more about the project here.
Robert Knight: “When I see this, I see how broken my life is with all of the medical problems that I am having. Knowing I have a lot medical problems causes me to be stressed. I recognize when I am stressed out, causes me to want to smoke.”
April Burns-Norris: “What we see here are pictures of my car, my family members, and my daughter which represents my ability to successfully quit smoking after obtaining housing and employment. I purchased my car after riding the bus for over a year. Having my own reliable transportation enabled me to obtain employment and maintain housing. Having what I consider the “Housing Holy Trinity” (Transportation, Employment/Income, and Family/Community Support) allowed me to confidently show up for myself and my family like I was before becoming unhoused. I am so grateful and I am also proud of myself for breaking through these barriers and achieving these goals. I chose these photos because they represent how my perseverance paid off and how my family and I are now happier and healthier together. I want others to gain the understanding that we all have a story and a purpose and that “Housing First” can work for unhoused individuals and families who are properly provided with the supportive services that we need.”
Kennetha Patterson: “I chose to capture this image of my foot and this bottle because it reminds me of my new walk. The pretty liquor bottle has an artistic look to me and this bottle reminded me of a time I would want to smoke after I would have a drink. This picture reminds me of a memory in my life when I would want to pair a cigarette with an alcoholic beverage. Both would go hand in hand, much like a routine, or a cycle that had to be broken.”
Robert Knight: “The United Neighborhood Health Services, Inc., is proud to be a totally smoke-free campus. This sign is the inspiration for me to stop smoking. It helps me to see myself quitting one day.”
April Burns-Norris: “What we see here is a picture of discarded household items that represent the eviction, housing instability, and homelessness that triggered me to smoke. A U-Haul truck and all of our personal belongings sitting outside was what my daughter saw when she stepped off of the school bus after completing one of her first days of school as a high school freshman. This devastated my daughter and triggered years of emotional trauma that still affects her today. Seeing my daughter hurt because of homelessness and not being able to do anything about our housing situation made me feel like I failed as her mother. The trauma of becoming & being unhoused triggered me to smoke. I chose this photo because it is symbolic of the damage that evictions create for families who cannot afford replacement housing. I want others to understand the level of generational and socioeconomic trauma that comes with evicting a family with school-aged children.”
Nefertiri Rollins: “What you see here is the end at the beginning. I chose to share this photo because it reminds me of the cycle of abuse I survived, which led to liberation, and now growth. Living in poverty was a trigger for me to smoke. The surrounding environment also caused me to become stagnant with being able to stop smoking. This photo reminds me of what I had to endure, and the state I was in with my children. I had to come to terms with at times you have to lose to rebuild again. On my journey to attempting to rebuild, I faced obstacles that triggered me to continue to smoke. To stop smoking is a journey. The possibilities are endless if you do not let tragedy define or discourage you from making progress. You can make efforts to change all parts of your life. It is your choice to grow after the smoke clears and the ashes settle.”
Kennetha Patterson: “This picture represents my family’s home church. We got there when my baby who is 20 years old now, was only 4 months old. I chose to share this picture because this is the place that helped me to begin to work on myself and to begin to learn how to love myself. After all, I did not know how to do that. I was sexually assaulted starting at age 5. I started having suicidal thoughts at age 8 up to the age of 39. This place helped me to stop smoking cigarettes and allows me to sing. The Claiborne Family of Faith Worship Center really saved my life, and it still saves my family step by step, year by year.”
April Burns-Norris: “What we see here are pictures of the WeGo bus terminal and a Hardee’s “Now Hiring” sign. These represent the barriers faced while trying to obtain housing after being unhoused. These barriers caused me to become stagnant in my attempt to quit smoking. Not having my own transportation limited my ability to attend college and search for or commute to some potential employers that offered better pay and benefits. Without a housing subsidy, working at Hardee’s will not cover the cost of renting a two-bedroom apartment. These barriers triggered me to continue smoking even though I really wanted to quit. **(Side Bar)** I remember my mom used to say, “If you ever want the bus to come, light up a cigarette.” I chose this photo because it represents what I believe are two of the main factors of being able to obtain and maintain housing: Transportation and a Livable Wage. I want others to understand that access to reliable transportation plays a HUGE ROLE in obtaining employment and maintaining the housing stability that helps keep families together.”
Traveion Jackson: “I have to give thanks to my mother. She’s taught me in life it’s important to know your worth. My grandad, who was my dad for me, taught me the basics of life. He taught me to “provide then praise”. Growing up, I could always tell when we were going through hard times, by watching my granddad's relationship with my grandmother, who I considered to be my mama. During those times it would put me in a place of discomfort. I was always alert when they were communicating. When it was hard for my mom to provide, I would see her smoke. The first time I smoked I was an older teenager, it felt great! I wasn’t ready for coming out of school and needing money for life. I noticed, needing money became a trigger for me to smoke later in my adult life. Smoking helped me cope when I didn’t feel as if I was enough. Smoking cigarettes and weed is what I’ve seen and learned over time by watching others cope. I started noticing more triggers that caused me to smoke the older I got including my mental health, transitioning from jobs, and other things that occurred to me in life. Smoking to me has become strategic. I chose this picture because my issues with finances is my biggest trigger to smoke. I would like for you to take away from me that smoking could be a sign of needing help. Be kind and helpful to others. Be the best that you can to help one another.”
Robert Knight: “When I see all the new houses being built in the community, I get very angry because I do not see houses for the low-income or for homeless people. These new houses are for people who have money, those who can afford to pay to rent this high-dollar housing! Seeing the new constructions in the community is a stressor and trigger for me. I am a member of several homeless committees, and it is always so hard to find solutions to house the homeless. I repeat this is stressful. I cope with stress by smoking.”