Eddie and Constance are homeless in Reseda, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. Eddie sleeps in a Volkswagen Beetle while Constance sleeps in a Project Roomkey hotel. Since they cannot be a couple at night, they spend their days together.
Eddie and Constance have been homeless for three years. Eddie calls it apocalyptic living. Constance says once you are on the streets, it’s really hard to get off the streets. Ed shares that he slept outside for so long, it took him a while to get used to sleeping in a bed.
The homeless sector often separates couples. Even married couples. This is one of the rules that makes little sense to me. For the cost of one person, they could help two people out of homelessness. More often than not, couples refuse to be separated and will stay outside refusing support.
Eddie and Constance lived in a commercial building for ten years. They always paid their rent on time, but the building was not zoned for residential use. Someone told on them and reported the zoning violation, and Eddie and Constance were evicted into homelessness.
Your voice can help end homelessness. If we do not fix the affordable housing crisis, homelessness will continue to get worse. Click here to tweet, email, call, or Facebook your federal and state legislators to tell them ending homelessness and creating more affordable housing is a priority to you.
