The dangers facing America's homeless were highlighted earlier this month when a man murdered two homeless people during a string of shootings in New York and Washington. "It's real out here," says Sekou Salaam, who became homeless six months ago and calls it "one of the most brutal experiences" of his life. Like Salaam, many people experiencing homelessness speak of the dangers they face -- not only on the streets, but in the city's shelters. Activists accuse politicians of worsening the problem with policies that stigmatize the homeless. "Things just need to change," says Jovada Senhouse, a foremerly homeless New Yorker. "They've got to understand that homeless people are human too." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES ARRANGED IN SEQUENCES