About a year ago I gave a homeless man a water and after a short conversation noticed he was personable and polite. This led me to continue to assist him with food and water when I could and over time get to know him a little bit. Recently I asked if I could interview him about his story and his struggle with poverty and he agreed, although he requested that his picture not be taken and his last name not be included.

 

   On any given day on a bench near the cross streets 1st and Roosevelt you might see a large African American homeless man by the name of Billy. Unlike the stereotypical homeless man you won’t see Billy with a sign or a hand held out begging for money; instead you’re more likely to see him with his shades on and headphones in, simply minding his own business. Originally from Florida, Billy made his way to Texas and then settled here in Phoenix, AZ. He said the reason he left Florida was to escape his troubled neighborhood in Dade County and then left Texas because “there was just too many problems for me there.”

 

   Billy informed me that he has lived in Arizona for almost three years and has been homeless for nearly the entire time with some brief stints in shelters and run down living quarters. One thing that bewildered me in spending time with Billy was that he had an Mp3 player, headphones, sunglasses and a wallet with approximately $100 cash inside. When I inquired as to where he got the money he said he does odd jobs around the area when he can. When I then asked why he didn’t try to invest the money in shelter he replied, “I don’t have enough money coming in to pay rent so I save the money for food and other stuff. Besides, I’ve gotten used to being homeless, you never get used to being hungry.”

 

   When I was talking to Billy I noticed that people walking by were looking at us weird, like I shouldn’t be conversing with him or something. This caused me to ask how he feels the students and other people passing by view him. He told me he thinks he makes people uneasy, that they don’t like that he’s there. When I asked him why he said “I don’t know, I don’t bother nobody. People just get scared of things they don’t know and they don’t know me.”

 

   Billy continued to tell me how he had been forced to pack up his stuff and move by the police because people had complained about his presence. “It’s a public bench, ain’t it made for sitting?” Billy questioned. Even worse he said that once the cops confiscated his belongings, which includes the materials he sleeps on. Due to this risk he said he no longer keeps his stuff out in the open but instead hides it where he knows it will be safe. Since conducting the interview it has been two weeks and I haven’t seen Billy in his usual spot. Hopefully it’s because he found a better spot or possibly a roof to sleep under. The point is that he is a person with problems, opinions and a story to tell just like everyone else, yet because of his financial status is looked at differently.