Honkala is the founder of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union, an organization dedicated to empowering the poor and homeless in Philadelphia. Cheri argues that the poor are being made invisible by the urban redevelopment programs of the last 20 years. But the prosperity of shiny new urban centers is an illusion that simply forces hunger and homelessness out of site. With the erosion of U.S. manufacturing jobs, Americans are filing for bankruptcy in record numbers and credit card debt is soaring. “In this country there is no safety net and there is no security. You can be ok for one minute and the next day you can be living out on the street and nobody will give a damn about you”.

Street version of a Beatles hit.

Made over a six-year period, The Street is the result of the filmmaker's total immersion into the world of the homeless. It is a gutsy, raw, moving and intimate study of three homeless Montrealers. The unique approach is neither voyeuristic nor judgmental. Characters experience cycles of addiction and recovery, hope and despair - but rise above the street with a sense of dignity, humanity and community. Set in a context which sees our civil society disintegrating and the safety-net collapsing, The Street gets deep inside a very complex social issue, beyond mediated stereotypes. By concentrating on three individuals the film makes the 'homeless problem' a personal one, allowing audiences to experience the human side of homelessness.