- [Interviewer] Jossalyn.
- Yes.
- [Interviewer] Everybody asked me for updates.
- Okay.
- [Interviewer] And yours is one of the updates
that has me and I knew when we got here cars would drive by.
- (laughs) That's okay.
- [Interviewer] But it's less noise than the street.
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] You're no longer homeless.
- No, I got housing, permanent housing.
I finally got into a program through HOPICS
with the Long Beach Police Department
and they got me permanent housing.
They help pay my rent, they gave me furniture,
and just about everything that I needed.
And even during the pandemic
they've been bringing me groceries
and cleaning supplies and things to help me-
- [Interviewer] The police department or the hospice?
- Hospice.
- [Interviewer] But it's not, it's HOP-
- HOPICS.
- [Interviewer] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- It's pronounced HOPICS.
- [Interviewer] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- H-O-P-I-C, (laughs).
- [Interviewer] Yep.
- Yeah, and they've been very good to me,
and my case manager has been wonderful.
They just made sure that I stay sober
and that I stay doing what I need to be doing
to maintain my mental health.
You know, like going to my doctor's like I should.
And so I've been housed now for maybe just about a year now.
- [Interviewer] Well, how long when I met you,
which was four years ago,
you were in this alley for 15 years?
- Yeah, yeah.
- [Interviewer] You were outside for 15 years.
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] And one of the things you told me is that,
it took you a while to get used to being inside.
- Yeah, it did.
When I first went inside I really was glad
because it was raining,
and it was raining hard out here all the time.
So I could hardly even come out and make any money,
or do my cans, so when they gave me housing,
it was just the best thing that ever happened to me.
I guess, during that rainy season,
I had to stay in a lot because it was raining,
I got a little more used to being indoors.
And then when the pandemic started
and we were quarantined and told to stay indoors,
that just like sealed it for me.
So I was really happy, I told my doctor the same thing.
You know I was really happy about being able to
sit still inside now, and be like everybody else you know.
- [Interviewer] First, what is it about
being homeless for what
you 16, 17 years that makes it hard to be inside?
Most people would think,
"Man, you got a bathroom and a bed it's"-
- Well, it's the sounds, it's the noise,
that's going on around you.
It's the fact that nobody ever goes to sleep
where you are, you know.
There's always some type of movement,
people coming and going, - Yeah.
cars, traffic, just the whole nine yards,
mice, rats, fighting, cats, dogs, you know.
The whole nine yards,
the sounds of the night, you know.
So it's you know, sleeping on the concrete,
it's sleeping on the hard surface,
the coldness in the air when you first wake up you know.
- [Interviewer] Your mask is falling off.
- Yeah, I know.
- [Interviewer] This is a sign of the times.
- Yep, sign of the times.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- So I've enjoyed being inside,
it's been a long time since I really slept in a bed,
you know?
So that was new and to be able to get up
in the middle of the night and walk in the bathroom.
- [Interviewer] To have privacy.
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] And start to heal-
- Yeah and I didn't scare a bunch of other people snoring.
I didn't smell a bunch of different smells
from other people's unwashed bodies,
including my own. - Yeah.
You know so it was a lot better.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- It's a lot better now it really is.
- [Interviewer] Well, I've looked for you a bunch of times
and then Facebook, their algorithms must be getting better,
because it put your post up you know as a recommended
"Do you know her?"
I was like, "Oh my gosh, that's Josh!"
And then I said, "Hello."
And you said you're still down here.
- Yeah I'm still down here, I aint going nowhere.
I mean (indistinct) your phone number in my phone,
in one of my other phones, "Who is this?"
(indistinct) Martin, (indistinct), starting to text you-
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- And see where you were,
but it was like, "Okay, nope, no, no, no,
I'll get around to it, I'll get around to it."
And then my little memory comes and goes
and I just forget to get started you know, I'm like-
- [Interviewer] I'm the same way, we're not getting younger.
- No, we are getting older, I am a whole year older now.
- [Interviewer] Wow.
- You know, and so-
- [Interviewer] Yeah 'cause I haven't seen you for a while.
I've looked, I literally have looked.
Even this trip, I've looked for you.
You're my favorite. - I actually.
Don't tell anybody else. - I actually.
- Okay, I actually have been here.
I've just been, I'm usually gone by two o'clock
because it gets dark early,
you know? - Yeah.
And in the summertime, by two, it's too hot to be out here.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- And so I just got to the place where
I just leave around two o'clock, there's nothing else to do.
- [Interviewer] Well, this is pretty far from Long Beach.
You come all the way here to dumpster dive?
- Yes.
- [Interviewer] You still dumpster diving?
- Yes, because I have the keys to that dumpster.
I don't have the keys everywhere else.
But I do notice that in Long Beach,
I do pick up a lot of recycling in Long Beach too.
You know? - Yeah.
And sometime people just sit whole bags
of recycle out for trash.
(indistinct)
- [Interviewer] You know you're recycling
and people don't understand.
I mean, you've been doing it for 17, 18 years.
- Yeah, it's a better part of my life,
it's a part that helps me concentrate.
- [Interviewer] It gives you purpose.
- Yeah, it gives me something to do every day.
All of this gives me something to do every day.
I don't wanna sit up, I'm afraid if I sit up
I'll just drop dead, there's nothing else to do.
I don't have grandchildren,
so I'm not helping to raise anybody, you know.
My sisters live far from me
and their kids live where they are.
So I don't hardly get to see them no more, you know,
because I don't drive, you know.
- [Interviewer] Gives you purpose,
and that's what people, you just can't put people in boxes.
- No.
- [Interviewer] You gotta give them a reason
to get up in the morning - Yeah.
and this is your reason.
- Every day, this is mine's to do, you know.
They look for me to come.
A lot of people around here
look for me to be here, and I'm here.
- [Interviewer] Yeah, and it gives you some spending money.
- Yes it does, it does, it does, it really does.
It gets me blankets in the winter,
nice new blankets in the winter time, and coats.
Somebody just gave me some new sweatshirts a few minutes ago
and some new tennis shoes. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So that's, you know, and that's not for Christmas,
that's, you know, they're recycling their clothes.
So, you know, that's a great thing for me, you know?
- [Interviewer] Well, it's just so great seeing you.
- You too Martin.
- So as somebody that was out here for 17 years,
'cause I would try to get you support.
You helped with the Prop HHH,
you helped with Measure H, I-
- I think that was the karma I got back.
And that's why I got housing. - Yeah.
Because of the karma of doing that for so many other people
that were in my same position
that were able to go ahead and get housing,
even though nobody actually really contacted me, you know?
- [Interviewer] Yeah, I mean I tried to get-
- I know.
- [Interviewer] So many people to come here.
- I know.
- [Interviewer] I was like, "I'm sending maps with a pin."
I go, "I know she where she is,
she's been there for 17 years."
Go help this woman!" - Yeah, but it's okay.
- It's okay you know.
Somebody finally found me, and somebody helped me.
Then I was able to get what I needed.
And so I'm truly blessed through that,
and truly blessed to know you, you know.
And I'm grateful for all that I have, you know?
So this is what I've been doing.
- [Interviewer] Yeah, yeah.
- Just trying to maintain and stay sober,
and do my mental health work, and stay out of trouble.
- [Interviewer] Yeah, awesome.
Your mask is falling.
- I know, it always falls.
- [Interviewer] When it's talking,
whenever somebody's talking they fall.
- They pull.
- [Interviewer] You know what I mean.
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] And I'm interviewing you so you gotta-
- Keep it (indistinct).
- [Interviewer] You're color coordinated
with the gray and the purple.
I mean, you're so Hollywood. - Yeah, yes that's me.
You know. (woman laughing)
What would you say to somebody that's homeless
that's been out here?
- Well, keep trying and you know, be open to options.
Be open to options.
Change is a hard thing and I hate change too.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- But if you do it the right way
and you do it slowly, you'll make it too, you know.
And if you really want housing, you'll have to work for it.
They don't just hand out keys like that-
- [Interviewer] They should.
- They should, but they're not, so-
- [Interviewer] So they make you jump through hoops.
- They make you jump through hoops
just to get what you need.
- [Interviewer] And it's hoops that are hard
because you don't have the resources.
I mean you do now because you have a home,
you can charge your phone. - Yeah.
You know, you have some money
to get on the train. - I have a place to cook.
- I have a place to do laundry.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- And cook and take care of myself.
And you know, it's funny that you have to try to remember
how to cook when you're not used to cooking
for yourself no more. - Yeah.
You know. - That happened with me too.
And realizing that you can go to the grocery store
and fix a pot roast. - Yeah.
Oh my goodness, I couldn't fix one at first.
And the first time you do it,
and you taste it, and you realize you're in your own place,
you know, and nobody's gonna come in here
and take it from you. - Yeah.
You see that's the point.
It's not just a point of getting indoors.
It's the point of getting indoors
and being able to stay there.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- You have to be able to stay there
and you have to have confidence in the fact
that you'll be able to stay there.
That nobody's gonna take it from you.
- [Interviewer] I ask people all the time,
"What's your first night homeless like?"
What was your first night house like?
- It was cold, that apartment was cold.
The heater wasn't working,
and so I couldn't warm the place up.
Fran brought an electric heater over
and I just bought it, put it on the bed that they gave me,
under the blankets and stuff that they gave me,
and just kind of like stayed still in one place.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- Till you know it was daylight.
- [Interviewer] It didn't feel good even though it was cold?
- It felt good, even though it was cold.
I said, "Hell, it's colder in here than it was outside.
Shoo, it's cold." (Martin laughing)
- [Interviewer] But you had walls.
- Yeah, but the but the difference was
I wasn't looking at the stores, so you're right.
You know, so-
- [Interviewer] So let me ask.
If you had three wishes, what would they be?
- That everybody that needs housing gets housing.
And that they get it and keep it,
and that they get the mental health work done
that they need done for their selves and for everybody else.
And, I don't know-
- [Interviewer] Great wishes.
I think you wished kind of the same thing last time.
Except you asked for a really good meal
and I hooked you up with some cash.
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] As soon as I'm off with this
I'm gonna hook you up with some cash again.
- Oh, thank you.
- [Interviewer] So, but you can use that
for a house warming gift
or you can get a meal or whatever you want.
- Oh thanks Martin, thank you so much.
- [Interviewer] Oh yeah, well, that was, you know,
one of the things how we first met.
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] Because you were so mad
'cause somebody stole your cart.
- He stole my damn cart.
I haven't had my cart stolen since.
And I just got after one of the guys out here
about going over by it and taking anything off of it.
(indistinct) 'Cause I was standing right here,
and I'm watching him. - Yeah.
And so when he reached over,
"And what the hell is you doin'?"
- Yeah. "You know better."
- [Interviewer] Yeah, but I didn't know you.
I just said, "How much is the cart?"
And he gave me a dollar amount and I gave you that money.
- Yep.
- [Interviewer] And I was busy, so I had to go
otherwise I would've tried to help you get it yet.
- Yeah. And I came back-
- And I had it.
- And you bought a cart. Yeah.
- [Interviewer] So, so many people are you know
"Homeless people, I'm not gonna give them money
because they're gonna go buy drugs or whatever."
You're proof in how we first met is
you needed a cart, I gave you money,
and you went and bought a cart.
- I tell people, a lot of people give me things
because they can actually tell.
One guy said he can see it in my eyes
and he can tell by my mannerisms
that I don't use drugs, you know.
And then my hands are impeccably clean all the time.
(laughs) And so they go, "Okay, you don't do no drugs,
what you do?"
"I sit here and I look cute." (laughs)
- [Interviewer] You do look cute.
So well, thank you very much for dropping by-
- You welcome Martin, I missed you.
- [Interviewer] Oh, I missed you too-
- God bless you.
- [Interviewer] I'm moving back.
We're gonna be hanging out so.
- All right, okay, I'll be here.
- [Interviewer] Good.
(lighthearted instrumental music)
(tinkling music)