Joel, 50, sat at a table in the courtyard of the motel signing paperwork. His sweet-natured Rottweiler, Nina, snoozed on the ground at his feet. He has been homeless off and on since 2005. “It’s cheaper in the riverbed, and if you’re pretty ingenious you can get electricity and water,” he said describing how he got water for washing from sprinkler systems and hydrants.
“You showed me a lot,” said Kevin, a friend and neighbor from the campsite, as he sat near Joel waiting for his turn to check in. “I didn’t know nothing.”
“When I lived under the bridge, I lived in the rafters so the city couldn’t see me,” said Joel, smiling at his resourcefulness. “But it was hard to take my dog in the rafters,” he added. So, he came down.