MFDI
The Belonging Project: Storytelling for Housing Justice
Purpose
Belonging is a narrative-based media initiative that uses the power of film to shift public perception, deepen empathy, and spark dialogue around one of America’s most urgent social issues: housing insecurity.
Developed with input from service providers, advocates, and people with lived experience, Belonging blends scripted drama with real research to reveal the complexity behind homelessness. Our goal is to replace stereotypes with understanding, highlight resilience alongside hardship, and inspire audiences to see dignity where society too often looks away.
The Story
At the heart of Belonging is Lucia Hernandez, a young social media influencer hired by her city to showcase “success stories” from its homelessness programs. What begins as a dream job soon unravels when Lucia discovers that her estranged half-brother, Raul, is living on the streets.
Torn between duty and family, image and truth, Lucia’s journey forces her to confront the gap between official narratives and lived realities. Along the way she meets unforgettable characters:
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Raul, talented but tormented, who wrestles with abandonment and addiction.
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Kiki, luminous and resilient, whose pregnancy brings both hope and heartbreak.
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Candy and Ben, outreach workers with lived experience, who mentor Lucia in compassion without judgment.
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Sharon, the wise “Mother Hen” of the encampment, who embodies community in the most unlikely place.
Their intertwined stories reveal that homelessness is not about statistics or stereotypes. It is about family, love, loss, resilience, and the universal need to belong.
Impact
Belonging is more than a film. It is a tool for change. By weaving cinematic storytelling with lived experience, the project seeks to:
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Shift public perception from judgment to empathy.
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Highlight systemic barriers, from underfunded services to broken policies, that keep people trapped in cycles of housing instability.
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Elevate the voices of frontline workers and the unhoused, showing both their struggles and their strengths.
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Provide educational and advocacy resources that communities can use to spark dialogue and action.
Ultimately, Belonging reminds us that homelessness is not only about fixing systems. It’s about healing families, communities, and ourselves
Join Us
Your support will help bring Belonging to the screen and beyond, through screenings, discussions, and outreach that can influence hearts, minds, and policies.
Together, we can use the power of story to create a culture where everyone has a place to call home.