The paper that helped the homeless

In 1989, rock musician Hutchinson Persons set up the street newspaper Street News in response to the increase in homelessness in New York.

The concept was to help the homeless support themselves, by selling the newspapers to the public at a profit.

Initially the paper was successful, with around 250,000 copies sold per issue. It also launched the modern street newspaper movement in the US and around the world.

Lee Stringer became a Street News vendor, before eventually writing columns and editing the paper himself.

He spoke to Witness History about the impact Street News had on his life.

Witness History: The stories of our times told by the people who were there.