Jewel rallies behind public housing

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/jewel-on-public-housing-and-upcoming-album/

By LAUREN MORASKI CBS NEWS April 25, 2014

While growing up in Anchorage, Alaska, Jewel and her friends would sometimes shoplift in lieu of using food stamps.

"It was so embarrassing that we would rather steal," the singer-songwriter said during a recent visit to CBS News. "My best friend was living in the projects, and I lived at her house. There's a lot of stereotypes and a lot of shame. Everybody at school [was] laughing at us. And you're very aware what people think of you."

That's why Jewel, who experienced homelessness growing up and at one point lived out of her car, wants to help change those stereotypes. As a national ambassador for ReThink, Jewel is asking people reevaluate their perceptions of public housing.

"It's really interesting to read the research that ReThink did [in ReThink Survey: Perceptions of Public Housing 2013] -- 80 percent of Americans believe that people are entitled to safe housing, but 60 percent of Americans don't want it in their neighborhood," said Jewel. "There's a real disconnect happening."

As part of the initiative, Jewel is hosting a song contest that aims to "raise awareness for the importance of and need for public housing." She's asking fans to submit ideas on why housing matters. She'll then turn those bits of inspiration into a full song. Ten finalists will be chosen, and one lucky contender will get to meet Jewel in Los Angeles to hear her perform the song.

Jewel, 39, says compassion has been the driving force behind what motivated her as a teenager -- and even now to get involved and talk about these kinds of issues.

"It's why I wrote 'Who Will Save Your Soul' at 16," she said. "It's because of what I had gone through. I was so aware that people are struggling...because I'd been struggling my whole life. And the idea that we're not victims in our life. We need to find out how to be empowered and how to change our circumstances and that's been the journey in my life. "

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