Hundreds sleep out in New York to raise awareness on homelessness

NEW YORK, United States — Over a thousand people brave the cold and spend the night sleeping in New York's Times Square to raise awareness on homelessness as part of a worldwide event, with Madrid and London among other participating cities.

"People are in that situation often say they feel completely invisible. So tonight we want to shine the spotlight on it, show them they're not invisible, show them that we care and really demand our political leaders address this problem and treat it as a number one priority," Josh Littlejohn, Founder, World’s Big Sleep Out said.

"Homelessness goes past race, gender, creed, religion. It's an epidemic. It's an epidemic and we have to really do something about it," Shemene Monique Minter, Community organiser, World’s Big Sleep Out participant, formerly homeless herself, also said.