Guy is homeless in Venice Beach, California. He is a professional musician. After being evicted, Guy jumped on a train and headed to Los Angeles.
Lots of people relocate to Southern California for many different reasons. Some are seeking fame and fortune. I was one of those who headed west way back in 1987 when I relocated from Upstate New York. I too ended up on the streets!
The population of Los Angeles has a lot of people moving in and out but the research shows that 65 percent of those on the streets have lived here for 20 or more years, whereas about 10 percent have been here less than a year.
Guy does receive disability income but it’s not enough to afford rent. I know many of you will comment that he should move to someplace where it doesn’t cost so much to live. Well, that’s easy to think and harder to do. First, a homeless person would have to get first months rent and security deposit. If they have bad credit or an eviction, that also makes it hard to rent a place. Plus, there really is no perfect place to live. Where there is cheaper rent, there often are only low paying jobs, if you can get a job.
But Guy’s biggest challenge is he doesn’t have identification. Without ID, you can’t do anything anymore. Guy shares about the bureaucracy he faces trying to get a new ID.
Guy is a gentle and kind man. Even if he wasn’t disabled, at 61 there is little chance any employer will hire him. We need to help people like Guy get out of homelessness.
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