Brent worked most of his life as a law clerk. After he lost his job, Brent lost his place to stay, and then he blew the engine on his truck. Brent never thought he’d be homeless on the streets of Los Angeles. Brent looks for work, but no one wants to hire a senior.
Ageism is a severe roadblock to employment. Brent is 61 years-old. He says employers love his resume. He does great on the interview call, but when Brent shows up for the in-person interview, and they see that he’s older, he never gets the job.
Brent shares the challenges of personal hygiene. He’s able to take a shower once a week. Brent says the second biggest challenge they face is keeping their phones charged. He used to use the library because of CONVID-19, but now everything is closed.
Coronavirus has hurt and helped homeless people. Once businesses and restaurants shut down, there was no place for homeless people to use the bathroom or get water. The plus side is police have, for the most part, left homeless people alone. Usually, police force homeless people to move frequently. When a homeless person has to spend most of the day every day trying to find a new safe place to sleep, it makes it harder for them to get off the streets.
