Homeless in Vegas: Where Poverty Meets Big Money | ENDEVR Documentary

Las Vegas Nevada, one of the most vibrant and wealthy cities in the world, with more than 40 million tourists visiting each year, is known for its high-stakes gambling and wealthy clientele who visit year-round, But beneath and beyond the bright lights and incredible hotels lies a different story, many people live in

poverty

or are

homeless

and struggle to survive on the harsh and dangerous streets of the city. Now there should be more people who really help. It's the worst thing in the world to be

homeless

. They would push you into a A woman here, there is no mercy in Sin City, she wrote whatever army she has

where

we were left homeless due to an eviction, we had no

where

to go abroad and it is estimated that there are now 6,500 homeless people who reside on the streets of the city.

Poverty in Las Vegas has been a growing problem in the city and continues to grow rapidly Sergeant Anthony Guerrero and his team are at a known homeless location in North Las Vegas and regularly patrol the area they are preparing to move in and hopefully relocate the homeless people that are living there right now, we're just going to go. We're going to put some tags up there that say, hey, you have 48 hours to remove your tent from this area, that way they can't tell when we get to the day when we do enforcement. Well I didn't get a warning so no you had a warning they told you to do it so it's not like someone got there that day and set it up we know it's been there they've been complaining about all the residents that there have been people coming into their front yard stealing their items, they have been blaming many for the homeless problem that is in this area, all these tents that keep coming into their neighborhoods and committing all these crimes , the officers are coming.

He came across a resident who was staying at his expense, but their attempts to move him were not as successful as they had hoped. Rose went in addition to the shelter. These shelters are foreign. I wish I had a good answer for you. I really have it. That's the problem. I know they have an answer I know they don't care they just take everything they can according to your birth certificate your social security card your ID they don't care about any of it they add

money

to rent a place to rent a place with friends and my

money

was in my jacket last move when they took all our stuff there so we're back here we have to work hard to get our stuff back and that takes a while so that really screws us up.

I built this so I mean everything We lost everything we had we didn't have a tent or anything so I had to do something to keep us warm and I still don't even have a tent so it's kind of hard , so when you walk in, you have a couch, the shelves are bad, there is no electricity, but batteries every two weeks we have to take it apart, move everything, I mean, let them do their cleaning and then I come back and put it back on the towel . There should be more people who actually help people instead of calling and making petty complaints because they are scared when most people here are harmless and would help anyone with housing prices skyrocketing and jobs becoming scarce to find the community of Homelessness in Las Vegas is growing by the day, only a handful of charities serve the thousands of homeless people throughout the city.

In an attempt to get people off the streets and back into society, U.S. Vets is a charity that aims to help homeless war veterans get back on their feet. It is directed by Giovanni, a former addict who sleeps on the streets and understands the struggles and problems these people face every day. On the day that most people don't know, just a few steps away is one of the tunnels beneath the city where some homeless people live. Many people move here thinking they will get rich and end up losing everything and stuck on the streets. daughter of the army, any other county is right, sir, how are you doing?

Dean, a homeless vet built himself a shelter under this bridge, but he is in constant battle with other homeless people and the authorities are a tissue up there. Do you have anything to eat? No, that's just C, but there's a couple of things in there and someone at the end, hey, calm down, zaidak, it's the worst thing in the world to be homeless, you're never safe for a moment and it all takes into account everything that happens to you. They have stolen, it has happened as if I simply lost everything. in the wash in a flood like 40 miles it's an hour four feet high and it's the rain didn't do it, they released water and then it comes and they don't activate any alarm, no sirens or anything like that, poor thing, you know.

Yes, we are there and we are not supposed to be there, but they know we are there. The tunnels are full of people. You know what I mean? I think nine people have died in the floods, it's almost a social experiment. At this stage for me, you know, um, it's so interesting, you know, you meet some of the brightest people and then you meet just the lowest pieces of the epic here, you know what I mean, they were just like, hey, man. ,uh. Did you check my things? Oh, no one, we wouldn't do that to you.

I'd tend to believe you if you weren't wearing my hat. You know, I mean like this, just the audacity is like we pray that Giovanni will do a tremendous job of dedicating his life to helping homeless veterans, but despite the best efforts of these charities every year, sons, daughters and Loved ones are reported missing throughout the city. uh my nephew is missing, he's been missing for 11 days, he's autistic and bipolar and, um, he's extremely. manic we don't know we can't find him we don't know if he's resting we don't know if he's sleeping we don't know if he's his body is shutting down but we can't find him and we need to find him, we have to bring this to light in all the places we've been, in Every camp we've been to, every shelter we've been to, from here to the strip, we've been everywhere where the jails are picking up mentally disabled or missing people and we're releasing them without notifying them. the family that they have found them and that is tragic because if you have a missing person report you need to be connected to your loved one immediately, which is why a lot of people go missing in Las Vegas and most people don't have anyone so they worry about them and reach out to them, especially someone with mental health.

I mean, you never know what's going on in his head, you know what I mean. The Las Vegas Rescue Mission is a charity that puts in endless hours. in supporting homeless communities by feeding Sheltering and providing employment support to those who come through the doors originally from the UK. Heather runs the charity that helps the homeless population get their lives back. The Las Vegas rescue mission is privately funded, except for a small part. amount of money that is for our intact family program and that is the county funding money that we have for that, one solution that we are always looking for as providers to help these people is affordable housing and there is simply none of that here in Las Vegas to be available to Many of these people who find themselves on the streets because they cannot find a place where they can stay clean, paying Red Fort Tommy and his son have been homeless for many months and have been depending on mission support from Las Vegas if it wasn't for rest Las Vegas Rescue Mission um we would probably be on the street we were homeless due to an eviction it wasn't our fault we paid this man 10 months rent uh and then suddenly December 1st , we get a knock on the door, eviction notice that Marshall at the door said we had 24 hours, they stole half of our stuff that we put in the backyard because we had nowhere to take it, we should take what we could here and that was it um we were completely devastated I was the man we knew He was supposed to pay the rent uh he said he was going to take care of us there is no chance of my son going to school we get up every morning at five o'clock I make sure he is ready to go, but uh um, other than that and I have to get back, I have about three hours to spend.

I've been looking for work. I go to a library on the West Side where I spend most of it. of my time looking for implants, I have been out of work for 10 months or actually almost a year and I looked online at 940 applications that I completed. I have two interviews next week. I'm happy about that. We are moving step by step, small steps, but everything should come together. Tommy has a job interview next week that will transform his situation and that of his son. If he is successful, they will be able to return to his normal accommodation and finally get their lives back on track.

Jay is a real estate agent living and working in Las Vegas who supports the homeless as much as possible by trying to house them. He is well aware of how bad the housing situation really is. We have a real problem in Las Vegas. A real problem. United States and I think Las Vegas really works as a microcosm. People come here with a dream. You know it's corny, but people come here with a dream. They want a better life. They believe they can find employment. They are all like everywhere else in the United States. People live paycheck to paycheck, they barely make enough money to get by, they barely get by and then anything can go wrong, anything can go wrong, any big accident, any mistake, you take a bad job, you're in Las Vegas, we have all the devices, you make bad decisions and you can end up on the streets and I think people don't want to see it, people don't want to pay attention to it because it's scary because it could be us, that could be me.

Now I'm a real estate agent. Um, I thought I could deal with these communities and really enjoy doing it. It could help middle and lower middle class people like the areas we are going through. I could help them find homes and live that part of the dream. I couldn't, um, they couldn't get mortgages, prices went crazy during the pandemic and these people ended up being forced to rent, and all these houses were bought by these investors, by these cash buyers, by Zillow and me buying all these horrible giant corporations. Giant piles of wealth that buy all these places, we buy all these houses and then they end up raising the prices so normal people can't afford any of it and then they end up profiting from it because they have this incredible pool of qualified renters who can't afford it. you can afford mergers to get houses, it's just that all the money always flows to wealth, so you can't afford a house, you're paying rent, something goes wrong, you get fired from your job, it's the pandemic, a lot of people lost. their jobs, well, you start falling behind, you can't keep up, you get evicted, you don't have an address, you can't get any more work, it's just a cycle that ends with whoever is unlucky and the people who live here don't I don't want to look at it because it could be us, some things go wrong and it could be us, so no one wants to recognize everyone.

I lived in New York City. I've lived here and the thing is that most residents just walk by and don't look at the other side of Las Vegas, just past the south of the Strip, is Sunset Park, where Police Officer Perkins spends many of her working hours with homeless people. Currently, we are going to go for a walk around Sunset Park and make sure everything is okay and everyone is behaving if there is something of interest that I feel like I need to stop and talk to someone I will, we have the radio on, we can also be sent to certain calls if something happens if someone calls 911 or 3-1-1 and they contact us and then they tell us where to go, they give us the details, it seems like there are a couple of people who are possibly homeless, just to make sure that, as you know, the park is being used for its intended purpose. purpose and there is no one with any nefarious activity or behavior.

I'm just going to make contact, consensual contact right now. I don't see them breaking any laws so I don't have any reasonable suspicion or probable cause to stop them at this time, it's consensual. Julie has lived on the streets for most of her life, but this makeshift house gives her the safety and accommodation she has been desperately trying to obtain, so how is everything? the rest? I mean, how's everything going? Very good very good. I just understood it. Yes, it also has lights. Yes, they are going to put in a solar panel. Oh how cool and it just attaches to your bike.

Can you keep it up? If that is. like a workout, no, and this right here just falls off and this is actually supposed to get free milk, put it in the flavor batch here, oh okay, they said they'd call me in a couple of weeks, but they saw a panel that says up here and then there's already a plug inside it's like uh for um charging like uh yeah Bird yeah for a car for a car like a car charger um but thenThey'll also have an adapter, they said, where I can actually put a regular plug in, which would be a really cool deal.

It could be scary at night. I'm not here at night with her, but I've heard stories and I heard you know I see things that have to respond to things um yeah. There are some people who just don't take other people's safety into consideration and they're out there, we're out there, they want to do harm, they say something they want and they take it by any means possible, whatever that looks like in the park. It's calm and quiet with everything seemingly under control. For the next stop, Officer Perkins and his boss, Chief Rogers, head to one of the largest homicide areas in South Las Vegas.

Giovanni is again patrolling under one of the largest elevated bridges in Nevada, the police have already done it here. They started flooding the homeless people and moving them out of their accommodation, they probably come to clear the area, what they do is they end up moving people to move into an area and then come in from that area and then they leave. to another area, so it's like a vicious circle, they just keep moving them, so yeah, old saying, "out of sight, out of mind," because you know this is Las Vegas, people come here and spend thousands and thousands of dollars betting everything else.

They don't want Taurus people to see homeless people on the sidewalk asking for change. Many times, some police officers do more harm than good. Luckily, the ones I've gone out to catch up with on the streets are the complete opposite. They are trained in mental health and their job is to help. to people coming into programs and claiming that someone was there because they are doing drugs and they don't want to be seen, they don't want you to know that they don't. I don't want to get them caught, some of them are just falling by luck and in the tunnels, depending on the time of year, it could be warmer or colder than the temperature above the ground here, but on the other hand, when we have flash floods . those tunnels flood quickly and have had people who have been in the tunnels who were not notified and were swept away and died.

Dean is constantly trying to get transferred by the authorities and struggling with the challenges in his house under the bridge thanks to The lake was under water, this tunnel system, you can see it, there are tunnels right behind it, the water reaches up to the roof of those tunnels and they cleaned them well, the water runs out, cleans the tunnels and then other people's things, as if I were. not after the rain, it's like, uh, Christmas as a homeless person, but I can't, no, I don't look down and see what worked, it's just you know, I mean, like him, it's amazing where you find that a lot of people like Dean have built houses in tunnels and bridges not far from the strip, but the police continue to move them even if the public doesn't see them.

This was completed like I imagined a long time ago, you know what I wanted to do, so, that's one thing, but they said they would come. I would like to film it. I was going to play that Tic Toc like I wanted to. I want to see them tear this down like they're the workers who clean up the trash and stuff like "go ahead." I'm not bothering anyone, you know, I mean, I'm not that guy, why can't I stay here, you know, I mean, it's maddening. Clearly, the reality of being homeless on the street is much more fraught with danger and uncertainty than people realize.

Dean's story is unique but echoes the situations of thousands of homeless people around the world. the country with his impending job interview Tommy is preparing for the meeting that will hopefully get him out of the shelter and back on his feet today. I have an interview and I'm here today at the Las Vegas Rescue Missions thrift store to find a shirt for myself, while because of our star, our clothes were stolen when we moved and if it weren't for this thrift store Second hand, I would. I can't get a t-shirt for this interview. I'm very nervous.

It's been more than a year. I have had a job and I am very eager to get this job because he is my son and I need him very much. I just hope everything goes well and I find a shirt too, this is the one that hey, look at these guys, okay, I'm just going to try this one here, fantastic and it ties up too. I'm not sure how to tie a tiger. Okay, hey, if you're homeless and you need to close this one, the place to come, custom made shirt, although I think it looks cool guys, that the rescue mission offers many, many avenues to find clothes if you need clothes, um, uh, counseling. uh, recovery, finding a job, most of the Carnival and they make a house.

There are many homeless people here who need help. They need to get a little closer and the resources are there if you're willing to put yourself out there. the streets, this is a place to do it, yeah, stop paying just for this, whatever shirt I have here, this is not going to get here, I work today, this shirt here, Tom K is that, I hummus, yeah , crazy, it's free, oh, thank you. look at that wonderful thank you guys thank you thank you thank you ma'am okay I'm definitely coming in thank you very much thank you for the foreign church because it's been over a year that I've been working um um and and I filled out I made over 900 applications and I'll be able to do it.

I don't like to depend on the rescue missions I need anymore, but I like getting this. Being able to afford my own apartment instead of going through social media. services or public aid I'll stay I'll stay focused uh and positive like I've been doing all year um I know nothing's written yet but um um I'll just go there and if it doesn't work, I'll keep trying, that's all I I can do, okay, it will hurt us a lot. I'm going to have to rely a lot more on rescue missions to know what our needs are, but um, I'm prepared, I'm actually prepared both ways.

I'm, I'm glad I have that inner inner strength to be able to do that, if I go out, it's not going to destroy me, but um, yeah. Even though it's going to be something negative towards me, I'm going to use it as something positive and move on, that's all I can do, Officer Perkins and Chief Rogers have arrived at the Pecos McLeod Trailhead, a local park that can be very populated with people. homeless and rough sleepers, crime is often an everyday occurrence in this neighborhood and local residents constantly complain to authorities, but when citizens say the Pecos McLeod trailhead what I think they are referring to is just below that area. a washing area and that's the area they're talking about so we'll check it out while they're wandering around the place, the police see someone discard a life threatening item, a new knife is that big.

Museum, it was that big. She took it out. and he dropped it, so yeah, black and silver tire, right on top of that tired one, he dropped a big nine. James, who is homeless, dropped a very large knife and walks towards the police. Many of the homeless carry guns because they feel they need to protect themselves from people. Trying to attack them or take their belongings, any other weapon with you out of my brain, well, that's a good one, I like it, okay, James, what are you doing today? I'm very happy, this is Chief Rogers. I meet the head writers when they're filming a non-

documentary

movie and I'm not sure if you have a house, so I'm one of the individuals, all the individuals, uh, like an older group that used to be here in their 70s, uh uh , was presented to this community. by one of the elders at the time, uh, when I started going around, it was about a hopelessness in people's eyes because they had never seen anyone who kept their word and wasn't part of and then, and then, now You know, damn. or do something to him, uh, and I was at Beacon and, so to speak, one of the few that have come through here and tried to help people, help people get back to whatever normalcy that, you know, they used to have in sometime.

A lot of the community and a lot of people walk around with the attitude that it's not my problem, they roll because not only are their problems my problem and I and I almost believe that this society as a whole is failing because it's not just happening here, it's happening on other continents after speaking with James and understanding that he is not a threat to police officers, Perkins has taken her to where she believes she saw the knife fall. Officer Perkins returns to speak with James again, who is now with a friend to investigate further. The master of all this has weapons with you, weapons, just record me.

If I check you real quick, okay, that's a long time ago, so James is saying U6 bikes for people, none of your earrings, they're going to try to keep this protected. Other people stealing this stuff and trying to stop other people from stealing any of our stuff is a problem sometimes because we have people that come here and don't respect other people's stuff and steal, so having to deal with that. and then finding out who did it and getting some people's things back, like old people do when their things are stolen. I mean, they're not going to chase someone down to go get this stuff, in fact, they usually come to us and say, "hey, look." The fight was stolen, you know, someone came to the community and said, Hey, look, my bike was stolen and it was stolen from this place and it was some kind of bike, nine times out of ten they'll find it and give it back to the person. um.

You know, we're trying to bridge that gap and heal some of the winds that have occurred in the past because there have been other people that were here before we were here that did a lot of trash that committed crimes, um that. that they all had addictions that none of us had, that has left a bad teaching in everyone's mouths, which, you know, let those interviews know that hey, look, we're not those individuals and judge us like you will still deal with they're It's not fair to us and it's not helping you, you're looking at me like I'm a drug addict criminal, but what you're not looking at, we're not looking at the man with a master's degree in communications.

We're not looking at the individual who served in the military, you know, looking at people who did a lot of things before this. I could attack him if and and he does these things and and he joins these groups and whatever and and uh go out that way I don't want to I want to get out of here working to get out of here people want to work and they don't always want help from charities or the Police homeless people with disabilities are often pushed to the margins of society and in Las Vegas communities like this are the only support they receive.

Two homeless people who did not want to be named live inside the homeless encampment and tell us about their struggles. We have a lot of homeless people around here in these parts, it's the west side and we need a way. more help than they are receiving. I do something like John and the Baptist. I teach the worst sinners, that's why I'm here and out to teach something. You have to go through something or you'll be fooling the world. You know, you don't know how they really feel, you have to know how I feel when I'm hungry, how I feel when I'm thirsty, I feel like I don't have clothes or shelter over your head when it's raining and cold, so I see how hard it is. . and it is very difficult, rather than strong, to survive, so we will try to see if it is the strongest.

Now this is a field that belongs to no one, as you can see, so why check them out? They are here alone, as you can see. the people that are there are labeled, you know, they had tents and they set them up right and they had to go bad things that the city would come and bring now they don't bring any of that this area this area has changed so much man. I just came to Las Vegas and Las Vegas has so much love for the human K that they didn't give him a colored religion none of that mattered people came to feed you everywhere in the city the richest people decided we were bastards or something So.

I don't do drugs I don't drink alcohol by choice I have cancer right now it's no game so it's really because I only make 800 and a few dollars a month Social Security then they check me every two months I have to get my benefits this month because I want to make sure that I still have active cancer. How am I not a human being? How do I not have rights? He could be here selling drugs. It could be like stealing from people. Might be able to make all kinds of buggy. I am where I am from.

The projects I've seen, all in the open corners like the blue tent, are all deaf people who don't want to deal with here too. Deaf family skunks are death. He's my cousin, so he had signed on in my life for a long time, but. I have autism and seizures, so I forget things that a lot of people don't even remember, so we became one. There are good things and bad things, so you have to eliminate them on the other side of town. Tommy just got out of his interview. and I hope I have been successful in getting a much needed job.

Wow man, I got a job today, not one but two and and and I'm so thankful to the Lord because he's going to answer my prayers today, man, not one but two jobs I got today and what that means for me and my son, just You don't know, there are no words that can explain how I feel right now, it's incredible and now son, my son Kalyn Patterson, your father is now an employed person and I'm going to be careful to make ourlife is even better for me and you man it's okay buddy it's okay cool Tommy got two jobs today that will allow him and his son to get back into society and build a life in Las Vegas on their way to North Vegas, where homeless people reside.

Jay, the real estate agent, is looking at some of the causes of homelessness in the city. We can look at homelessness in the country and in Las Vegas in particular and its causes and there are a lot of mental health issues that I put very high on the list and how this country doesn't address mental health, we don't worry about that, we pretend that doesn't exist, then a certain portion of the homeless population are people who are sick and need help and don't get it, the police pick on them. They push them to different places, sometimes they arrest them but they never receive help.

The way this can work. The history. Americans are counted. The American dream. You buy a house, you pay for it and it's actually a way to save. money right, you pay your mortgage so you owe us the house, eventually you own a house that you can sell and then that's your retirement, that's the dream, it's been gaining value the whole time, right? and you're happy so when you cut people off that when there's no access to that there's no hope, I mean in some communities homeless people live in abandoned buildings. Fed up with dealing with the police every day and the other dangers that lurk on the back streets of Las Vegas, they reside here to survive and stay out of trouble.

Bobby is one of the homeless people who live here along with his friends who didn't want to be named this house is done with the public you know it's an open door policy that's why there are a lot of people here that's why they don't like us to the police, because when it rains we are I'm supposed to go to one of the Rings. I do. They threw you through the tunnels. They filled you up for the bridges. Everything else where you can stay dry. You know, almost 25 years ago. I've been everywhere. This is the best place, but.

These, the police just don't care, they give you five minutes, in fact you should, the Department of Transport takes it. I'm sorry, hey, I'm sorry. I just woke up. I was waking up to this world. It's time to make money. Musical tours that they don't care about. He, uh, he was suffering right now, so people say don't trust anyone. Someone talks or whatever to help us like this. We would probably be in a situation where we would. You are not bad people. We are not. I'm not here to say oh, we're going to steal your tastes for me, we're not helping you, you know, I love helping people, you know, I learned that from parting the street, you know how to behave better, you know how to be respectful to people you know and then he goes up shakes everything meet a friend, you know me Jay arrives at the abandoned house where the small community of homeless people is in constant battle with the authorities, although his opinion is that what they are doing is not only beneficial but also beneficial to them. gives a sense of purpose.

Well, we're at the house that the Intrepid filmmakers visited earlier. They are the people who try to occupy land to establish ownership. Now in Nevada you need to live there continuously for five years, which, my What I remember is pretty typical: five years is a normal period of time in which you would need to be in conspicuous occupation of a property to obtain ownership of it. In Nevada you also have to establish that you are paying property taxes, which seemed like a challenge, but this is something that homeless people can do, they often get caught in the vicious cycle, they don't have an address, they can't get a job, they can't improve their situation, so at least trying to enforce squatting rights gives them action to take.

I think this is a methodology that is being used by people who advocate for the untransported and I think it is a good strategy. I think if you can find these properties that are not being used, they are deprecated and you can improve them. You're taking all the risks as if you were working and you may not end up owning that property, but like I said, at least it gives you a stock that gives you something, oh, it gives you things. I think this is a great strategy and something that should be employed nationally. Jay is firmly determined to make a change for homeless people here, but believes it is not just local charities and authorities who should rectify the problem. , it is a wide-ranging government problem that needs urgent attention the stark contrast between the famous Las Vegas strip and what lies beyond is clearly evident this is what everyone thinks about when they come to Las Vegas is the strip is shiny is Pride is neon is cool it's relatively clean and should contrast incredibly with any other place you've seen in this movie because this is where the government cares this is what they care about this is where there is public transportation this is where the cops patrol not anywhere else place not to the same extent this is where all the money goes and most of it goes to the people who own those big shiny buildings, the corporations who own everything and not the people who maintain that all of this will never happen to them.

It comes to them and that puts them in the place that we've been talking about that puts them on that slippery slope where one thing goes wrong and they're on the street suffering like everyone else, desperately trying to find hope anywhere and just abandoned by your city, your society, your country, right next to all of this, many of the homeless also live on the Las Vegas Strip. Jolie used to be one of them. but she now she works out of the Bellagio hotel as a photographer when I first came to Las Vegas I was homeless. I think a lot of people migrate here because the opportunity is a good opportunity to earn some money on the street.

Understand what I say. now also with homeless people, I think it's like a mental health issue, you know, you know people who went through post-traumatic stress, you know post-traumatic stress disorder, and some got over it and some have it, so I think that homeless people are mostly just based on you know they went through a traumatic event at some point in their life, you know, and they just haven't recovered, most of them are peaceful, but the ones that go through here in this part of the strip I know I have a kind heart so I know some light conversations when I missed that in the room like I said most of them are really cool people who are just trying to get through life and, uh, dealing with the situations that they've been through so you know, one thing I don't like is that the couple of people who can have a comfortable life and who can look down on homeless people is that at the fork, but I don't think that they should do it.

Do that and the way society is going, you know, with the economy and things like that, it can happen to anyone very quickly, so you can live a life where everything is great, suddenly you lose your job, you get on your feet and fourth and then the next thing you know you're in a situation where you're homeless, you know what I'm saying and I personally think that some people may need to go through that experience to have sympathy for people. that they are in that situation and they can't mentally get out of this situation, yes you know, that's just my opinion, you know, although Jolie has managed to get her life back on track for others, it's a different story.

Joel arrived in Las Vegas. with Big Dreams but like many were rejected by the big city and became homeless on July 23rd I lost everything I started doing drugs I lost everything um I walked to the studio we had with a backpack in the snow wind and snow three feet of snow coming down and I'm walking the five miles from the Y to the state line in my hometown I didn't go all out on meth I left everything lost because of the situation I was in I've been harassed by the police by security guards by all means of life they hit me I got into a fight a couple of weeks ago a guy hit me for no reason he blew out my right eye I have hot blood vessels in my right eye I had a broken nose he hit me with his right cross and it shattered me and he tried to kill me in the Parking right down the street at the friends of the Texans are so extensive in Las Vegas because of the tunnels that they have in Las Vegas, the tunnels there are 270,000 square miles of tunnels. in Las Vegas huge, it's not dangerous unless you're down there causing destruction if you're down there to rat someone out if you're down there to uh if you're down there to get in with someone that you're trying to get in and they don't like you, you They will alienate in a minute.

In fact, they left me in the Valley parking lot on the fourth floor on July 5, 2018. They left me without shoes and I met a lot of people I met a lot of good people I've met a lot of bad people He uh and you get all the rides in the life in Las Vegas Nevada uh it's one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world, but despite the hardships Joel has endured he's still optimistic about the future I'm tired I'm exhausted but everything's going to get better soon I know I'm going to Greener Bashers I just need to remember where I come from and where I come from with stability and a home where my mother and father care and I don't blame anyone but myself.

I myself am number one. I'm the number one who made my mistakes. I will make my bed and lie in it. I know. there's something out there I know there's a future out there for me I can't come here because I live here and most of the people you talk to that live here don't come to the Strip, part of it is because this is where all of us work here is where our bosses take advantage of us this is where this is where we are reminded that this is what matters to everyone who has money and power in this city and it's not any of the neighborhoods we've been in aren't the ones middle class, it's not the poor, it's not anywhere, it's just here, all I see is exploitation, all I see is people being taken advantage of and I can't, I can't be a part of this, even though people homeless people try to do it. remain hidden, many are still on the Strip and beyond trying to make a few dollars from the high levels of tourists hidden among the bright lights and exclusive hotels, the other side of Las Vegas is clear for all to see and has one of the biggest homeless problems.

In the US, which continues to grow at an alarming rate, fortunately there are Goodwill Hope stories from former homeless people like Giovanni and the charities trying to help the homeless on the streets. Jay, who pressures the authorities to do something about it. Tommy, who finally managed to get a job back and hopefully have a home of his own once again, thank you.