Economist Thomas Sowell described a phenomenon in his book The Vision of the Anointed. Politicians and journalists would ask "homeless advocates" for a specific type of family to testify at hearings. They sought a family with a mother, father, and father who had been out of work from an industrial plant for at least four months.

This request was made in the 1990s, according to Sowell. The details of these requests suggest that politicians and journalists were looking for a particular narrative to illustrate the issue of homelessness. Further information on this topic is available from the source, which explores the complexities of homelessness beyond individual stories.