Half Homeless: Living in Cars | Poverty in the USA | ENDEVR Documentary

Three times a night they walked the streets of the United States looking for a place to sleep. Tonight they found a parking lot. Well, they join many other

half

-

homeless

people, as they are known in the United States, those people forced to sleep in their

cars

or in cheap motels. After being evicted from their homes, no one has counted how many Americans live like this today, but during the month we spent inside the American crisis we encountered hundreds, most of them middle class, the class that for decades had been the embodiment from the American Dream, okay, Katie, it's time for nothing, this is the morning edition of NPR News.

Good morning, I'm David Green. There is bad news today on the work front. The unemployment rate rose to 8.2 percent. This is the third consecutive month of decline in employment figures. comes just as the presidential race is heating up on Main Street Hello, how are you today? Have a great day. Everyone stopped by the Sprint cell, please, what do you like about this job? Talk to people, have fun with people, the most important thing and at the end of the day you're tired, yes I'm tired, the thing is my feet are tied, let's put it that way.

I'm Larry the Dodson. I work for Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, I am 52 years old. old and I live with my wife and two children in a motel room in Kissimmee, Florida, and I have five children. I've had several jobs in retail management and the jobs no longer exist, the company no longer exists, so that was one thing I was worried about was job security three years ago Larry Dodson ran a large customer service department lost his job and then his house since then he rented a room in one of the motels along the road to Disney World it cost us 149 a week stay here and I make about 228 a week at least about 70 dollars for groceries food anything else you need clothes that kind of thing this is the home this is the

living

room the bedroom the dining room right here we have the two beds that I have built - in the closet there the four of them live in this room with some belongings that they were able to save on the day of their eviction and basically my son who is at work right now and my daughter who goes to school Sandra hello hello hello we're packed We get on each other's nerves and like I said as far as getting out of here we're not sure when will happen.

It all depends on if we can start getting some extra money so one of these can get a little bit more of ours. and we can start saving some money. They have the rent as the first month's security deposit abroad. I want to do it, no, that's my name tag. Are you proud of her? Yes, I am proud of my name tag. Yes, I have the little tag. at the bottom because I started a new role so to let the guests know I'm not normally in that position they tell me I'm burning my ears so I thought I had big enough ears since how long had it been over there.

It would be um, there are regular races. I started at 7 40 and got to, I think, 8 20 in two and a

half

years, yeah, no, that's not the best, but that's the way it is anywhere where 900 families now live. cheap motels surrounding the florida theme park at one time these motels were full of tourists but now they housed those who could no longer afford a home of their own the manager sometimes looked like slumlords exploiting families in

poverty

we could only find one that he was willing to talk to us, what I'm doing now is delaying my daily self, what foreign day, let's say about two thousand a week, you should, that's four times what she currently receives per week and every week she has to vacate to clients who have not paid rent even in a hotel at this time.

It's hard for people to pay rent with the economy the way it is and then companies don't want to pay you anything more than minimum wage. It's not easy right now. You are breaking even. foreigner just walking with him trying to get him to sleep yeah he couldn't sleep well in this room here they've been here for a little over a year and a half it's like a permanent residence it's their home two years he's been here a year and a half this a little more than a year and a half so there are no more spaces the United States is what is supposed to be one of the richest countries in the world and they cannot It is a shame to say that we have There are so many

homeless

people, but here in the last two , maybe three years, it's widespread, it hits so hard now that you can't hide it and it's not just about families, you have older people who can't go anywhere, you have older people.

They live in them They walk up and down that street every day They have nowhere to go I, for example, I have one in my room right now She has nowhere to go Shirley opened her home to this woman who had previously been a painful guest in the motel without a place to stay for five days she was sleeping on the side of the road she is 67 years old the day she came back which was Tuesday her legs were so burned from sitting at the bus stop all day Yes the sun is hot a lot and then I walk during the day and I try to stay in the shade, but it's hard, you know, to find the shady places, sometimes they can be on that side of the street and then be on this side of the street.

It can happen to anyone to me I worked in the fields and became a store clerk I took a step forward but it took me a long time to advance I am 53 years old I have no retirement I have no benefits I have nothing So I keep thinking that one day I will end up like she. She didn't work hard and what she got was nothing. Yes, something is broken. All we can say is unless the police really blow up or cause a problem. The world isn't going to get much better than that, and besides, if you want to refinance, do it.

It's been 287 days since the US lost its top yardage rating and part of the discovery among the evidence is a first. first photos of the Watchmen neighborhood after the photo shoot in the one star category Shirley's Motel is highly sought after, the rent is 800 a month and most of the residents are middle class, yes, should I put it back on top from the hill?, yeah, okay. I already did it, hey, I took two steps back. Could you imagine him playing golf somewhere? Yes, it lets me know what I need to fix in my swing. Yes, Salt Lake.

I played at Hidden Valley Country Club, thank you ma'am, thank you. Mr. Madam, my name is Terry, I am 42 years old, I am a consultant for a Resort in Orlando. I have lived with my wife and six children at this motel for just over two years. Now the table, um, is fine. some kind of normal there is no normal there is no normal at all before he became half homeless Terry lived what he now calls his other life as a sales manager in the automobile industry he was doing well until he was fired he did not receive any compensation as they are not mandatory in the United States, yes, I don't know if there are classes in the United States anymore, well, when the market exploded and people discovered that their houses were not worth what they thought were jobs, the illusion of security and stability disappeared no it was good.

Ladies, can you give me a small spoon? They will be fine, thank you. I guess they need to learn. Come on, the family spent all their savings on hotel rooms until six months ago, when Terry managed to find a part-time job at a hotel resort for eight dollars an hour, forced to sell his car because he couldn't pay for gas or insurance now. take the bus to and from work we had a boat to water ski we went skiing we went on vacation it was consumerism at its finest, I guess the stereotype of 1950s America, the white picket fence, mom and dad.

Dad, you know we grew up, you had the same job, you worked there your whole life, you retired, you were taken care of, those days are over, eighteen hundred kids are growing up today. At the motels surrounding Disney World, the head of the school has had to change his route to come pick up the children known in the school system as the Disney motel kids, who move from school to school as their Parents are forced to look for increasingly cheaper accommodation. Hoping to avoid this type of instability, Terry's wife decided to homeschool her four oldest children.

The cards have to stay here once, so if you're telling me you read the book but don't remember it, I mean, let's not forget it. um, how about you actually read the book? You've been to five different schools, one within the school district. The only thing that would make this better would be having social friends with social friends to talk about watching, oh and recess, yes I think they were. We were embarrassed because we lived in a hotel, but then we found out there were other people

living

in a hotel, so at least along the Strip it seems like regular old Ryan went through what all the motel kids fear when they put him in a hotel. foster family By the time his family wandered from motel to motel in their car, relations between Terry and his wife had become strained by the pressure and they were eventually judged financially unable to raise their six children, all three Elders were placed in care.

I do my best to try to make sure it's not difficult for them. I try to keep everything because I'm the older brother, yes, but if it's not difficult for me, who is going to be difficult for my mother or my sisters? I mean being the oldest. brother, when my dad is at work, now I feel like I'm the man of the house, so I have to do this, finish that, bathe the pets, wash the dishes and all that, but yeah, staying inside gives you a lot time to think about what to do. you dream about what you know when you sleep at night, mostly nightmares and stuff, yeah, just dreaming about how they put us in foster care and all that stress is going to make my mom and dad lose their temper or something and they may take us. far away and I'm I don't want to be separated from my family again I won't put them all playing together it just fills me up keep going keep going and play the parents have to accept that at the moment there is no support or help for them during the weeks we spend with these families , we only met one social worker in the county and she was supposed to monitor about 1800 foreign children at 30 years old.

Terry's wife left her job to care for her six children. But last year she started looking for work again at all the restaurants in the area, so now every night, after dinner with the kids, she works at a restaurant across the street from the motel. Her salary varies. If there are no customers, she can go home early, but her pockets will recover. be empty thank you foreigner no Oklahoma in the winter it got cold and you think you're safe from that happening again no you'll never be safe I think of the last seven families that moved out of here one went into a house and alone They stayed in the house for three months and they are living in their vehicle now the shelters here are always at maximum capacity and during the summer many of them close and there is no safety net for the poor as they say there is.

They do not exist without a network to catch these people as their situation worsens. Those who no longer have the means to pay for their motel will go from being half homeless to completely homeless and then often migrate to states where social services are still minimal. presence California is the most popular foreign destination in the shower, yes, okay, so don't walk away from us, do you change in the car? I'm Amber, I'm 21 years old. I live in San Diego, California, I have two beautiful children, one year old and a three year old and we have been in our car for four months here in San Diego Amber and her husband used to work at a hotel in Las Vegas when they lost their jobs they came They went to California to try their luck.

They tried all the shelters but no one could shelter them. His move had been in vain. Next BBC time, won't you sing with me? I gave a good job, there was no other option, there was no one who could house us and I wanted, we wanted. to stay together I didn't expect it to last long uh two months at most Katie remembers that day for the first time sister and mom okay, ten days ago her husband found a job on the other side of the United States in Kentucky ah, he was just No I will get no job here and I will send you money every time you get paid and you will also save money so that when you finish your job you can come back and we can get a place.

Amber's husband crossed the country alone. on the bus they knew that his old car would not last the 3,000 kilometers of travel. This is C Street. We are under the bridge where many homeless people live. There are always a little bit of homeless people and a little bit of people who are not. I don't have a job, but this is great. Those who have nothing sleep on the streets by the dozens. Over the last year, a charity has organized this car park so that those who have managed to keep their

cars

can stay here overnight. We saw similar things all along the west coast the last refuge of these desperate people who are arriving in California this parking lot in San Diego provided by a church opens every day at 6 in the afternoon La Vera a volunteer spends the night here threetimes a week as a nurse at one time we had a teacher, we had a dental hygienist, you know, and she was.

I mean, they were used to making a lot of money like they were used to being comfortable, which is why I say we have some homeless people for the first time and we don't have as much. A lot of people are moving so it's definitely full so we try to work with what we have. Are you going to park here? I'm going to make this car and take out those foreign kids. Stay in the car. Okay, it's like a mountain. Come here. I put you on my arm be careful she is so cute she calmed down quickly isn't that the case there are 20 parking spaces but around 30 cars are packed together the occupants must leave before 6 am most are heading to their workplace or to look for work Hello, how was your day?

Today I posted some resumes. Okay, business management and a hotel restaurant management, but this is my studio on wheels Studio on wheels, here we go, reality doesn't really set in well, it's like, wow, I don't really have a home to go to, do you? Where are mom, dad, mom and dad, you know? maybe alive, but they're not in the same city, so you already know, and your friends, your friends who will help you, you can go take a shower and meet at your friend's house, but you feel obligated, you know, I mean every day. I mean, every other day you know it's hard.

It's hard for me to ask if I can be clean and I'm a pretty entrepreneurial guy. I have worked since I was 14 years old. Now I'm like 52 and then I'll come in May. I'm thinking about retiring, but I don't know if there will be anything left. You know, they're probably too young. They say 62 to 65 to 60. You know, almost 70, but there are so many people in this situation that it's just. actually it's not like that, the statistics are not there. I'm saying it's something hidden and I don't know why the government doesn't attack it or look at it.

Okay, ready to go to sleep. I'm putting on. uh fortifying myself in the car for privacy here if you want to see what our bed is like like it's my own cave there it's practically nanai time okay it's me. I'll take you to the park tomorrow. I promise someone will turn off the lights. in a little bit, okay, you think you need a few minutes, um no, I just have to go in with them and okay, sounds good, good night, good night, thank you, get in there girlfriend, I know. Wow, damn, hey, don't you say it?

Those words, the Lord's men just helped us tonight, you don't have to do that again, we will get a house and she will sleep in a real bed in her own room one day, we won't be happy anymore, what a stranger. foreigner foreigner come here please thank you yes but I want you to sit down because mommy is going to come in to fill out applications and I don't need you running around the hotel because they don't want to hire me come on please don't talk Katie and you have to be good to me. I'm trying to get a job.

You understand me. My God, they won't hire me if they think my kids are unruly. I was wondering if you were hiring or accepting applications and applications. Thanks, come on Katie, stop, okay, did you poop? Wonderful, Cassidy, come here, capacity, stop touching things, thank you, I'm sorry, she's fine, okay, look, I'm not doing this anymore. I can not do it. Turn the keys on because I have to. dealing with my two kids while trying to fill out job applications and it's just not possible, oh shit, silent Acadian, being in a car all day and now in and out, they're so happy when they get out but soon after they have to come back to enter and that is very hard thank you oh a few years ago these fields were full of horses three thousand kilometers from California Kentucky was the capital of horse racing in the United States the economic crisis hit the owners hard and now the fields are practically abandoned those who can afford to try to keep their farms in a decent state and that's what drove Amber's husband Daniel so far away from his family, yes, quite alone on the farm, it's the only selling point, yeah, keep in touch with that Amber, yeah. oh yeah, send her pictures, show her the key, especially the horses and ponies and everything she likes, she just laughs, you little, disgusting Acadian, she just laughs at everything, she's a sweetheart just six months ago, Daniel Carter He worked at a hotel in Las Vegas, today he repairs fences going from farm to farm for 10 hours a day his boss called him at night to let him know if they will need him the next day oh he is a good worker he is worth it just unreal for a young man, yeah, man, I don't know how many weeds, he could, I mean, he just kept getting it, boy, I'm telling you, I'd like to find four or five like him, he's got his value, I think that's all he talks about those little kids, he's, yeah, so you know. that one day he will do it tonight yes, yes, I don't blame him, no, not one bit, no, sir, his family comes first and everything else gets there when it can, well, those are the old text messages of the.

He asked me. I had three tortures while I was away. From the little girls, the blonde hair, the blue eyes, the beautiful little things, I can't help but come here and work for him, so you know, it's hard out there when we're, you know, just looking at them every day and not being able to. do it. find a job out there and you know it was hard to sit there I can't sit there not to make anything happen this is stuck in the house before them this is the wonder Chris's bed my bed has a shower right there that's a winner that we built that ourselves you know foreigner Amber you're okay, okay, well, I can't wait to come see you.

You'll let me talk to my baby here in a second. Katie, hey, baby, I love you, I love you too, baby, I'm coming. Seeing you and daddy misses you, it's okay, be sweet, it's okay, bye, man, I gotta stay strong for the kids 'cause you're supposed to be a rock, there's no choice, uh, uh, like I said, just be able to work, no I care what it is. I'm eating grass I don't mind working horses I don't mind making all these fences I just don't care what it is I'm going to pick up dog poop I wouldn't mind um just like I keep saying It's just a blessing to be able to work because there are a lot of people out there who don't He can't find a job or forget his pride and I mean, oh, you have to swallow that, those are not enough days for an award.

Not even What does that word mean? Not for Google that then uh not really uh yeah yeah you have to just nod your head at Elsa and uh you can just be and act uh foreign okay I'll be there like a block away. listen little babies in the background hey Nancy oh you look fresh uh that's great there's a lot of work out there okay yeah listen stay motivated yeah yeah I think the girls are resting um Cassidy was sleeping or something and then Amber is there hey girl hello baby hey Honey, give me a kiss, hey daddy, hey girl, come here, hi, hey, what do you think, girl, Howies, oh yeah, she's a lot more vocal, she's walking on her feet, no problem, yeah, how's it going? all about looking for a job not looking for a job right i left a message yeah did you check out that studio but you looking for a man because jari and mel oh again we'll be here for a little bit now you want to spend some time with you at the Beach Boys no Cassidy Cassidy kadian don't do it? hold on to it, you know the water is coming, they'll tell them, but I mean mom and dad were struggling and we moved to California and we continued to struggle for a while, but we were right in our heads, we're right. track and here we are today, hopefully, hopefully, everything will still be great when we tell you why I didn't know after this meeting.

Daniel returned to Kentucky to work a month later, he sent us great news. Amber and the girls had We finally found a place at a shelter where we were supposed to pick them up to check on them and conclude our research on America in crisis and then everything fell apart. A 39-year-old Bourbon County man who police say was brutally attacked by a man with an ax died last night The men police accused of the brutal attack are Daniel Carter, he told LEX 18 he was acting in self-defense Daniel says that one night a man who lived in another caravan near his approached him with a pole and attacked him.

He maintains that the man was drunk and ready to kill him. Daniel took an ax and fatally hit the other man. According to Daniel, she was the only one. way to save his life, two witnesses support his story. He is awaiting trial in a Detention Center in Kentucky. We were able to meet with him on the condition that he not talk about what had happened. Well, did you have a chance to talk? Yeah, I just called him today. You know, she always says: I miss you. and I hope to see you soon and this is just worrying about them, worrying about their safety and him, you know, worrying about Amber and because this guy is going to be doubly hard on her now and you know, bless his heart, I mean, she, Uh, look.

She is being very positive and very strong and that is helping me to be very positive and very strong, but there is not much positive spin I can put on this, other than the fact that it helps me, it gives me time to think and realize, you already know. how much I care about my family and what a blessing it is to be in the same area um yeah I guess I'd rather be poor in my life man. This is ridiculous, do you know what's up with mom? I have to take care of Cassie baby hello hello come on come on Amber was living in this shelter with her daughters when she found out about Daniel's arrest.

She had just found a hotel room for four months hoping to use the stability to find work and a place to live that's where we met her two months after the last weekend she spent with her husband oh they need to be happy and being children and they don't need to know bad things no, I try to keep my emotions closed until they fall asleep if the economy was better and one of us found a job here and everything would have been avoided, everything, you know, it's a pretty big step that All of this happened, the car was supposed to be the lowest point and, but now, this is pretty much the lowest point.

The point that he is in jail and away from the kids is difficult for them the kids because Katie asks where is daddy where is daddy he is at work I have to remind him I have to remind him what a good man he is because he is not here to teach him I just wish everyone else knew that and saw that he's a good man, things just happen, things happen to everyone, I don't know what else to say about it if the jury thinks his theory of self-defense will be Daniel's. Sump. He released him immediately, otherwise he could spend the rest of his life in prison in Florida.

Larry is still waiting for a promotion that will allow his family to finally leave the motel. Terry and his wife will soon have enough savings to rent a studio in Orlando where they plan to move after Christmas. They firmly believe that they will be able to rise again and that one day the American dream will return to living abroad.