- [Interviewer] Lux.
- Yes.
- [Interviewer] We're here in Seattle.
You're homeless,
living in this RV with your cat.
- [Lux] Yes. (giggles)
- [Interviewer] Tell me about homelessness in Seattle.
- It's definitely very chaotic here. (giggles)
It's different than Everett, that's for sure.
- [Interviewer] And so you were in Everett for a while?
- Yeah.
I moved to Seattle about two years ago.
Well, SoDo, specifically.
- [Interviewer] And you've been homeless
for three years you said.
- Give or take.
Yeah.
- [Interviewer] Now, how old are you,
if you don't mind me asking?
- I'm 19.
- [Interviewer] You're 19.
- Yes.
- [Interviewer] So you've been outside for...
Wow.
How do you survive out here?
- I think it's all about keeping yourself grounded
and like reminding myself
like who I like am at the end of the day.
And doing things that I like still,
and you know, because when you stop doing that
you start to lose yourself really quickly.
- [Interviewer] Yeah, it's easy to lose yourself out here.
- Oh yeah.
- [Interviewer] And how did you end up homeless?
I mean, you were homeless at what, 17?
- Yeah, 16, 17.
My parents, they were both separated,
and so were my stepparents.
So, like my stepdad as well,
was separated from my mom.
And they were always arguing and stuff
and I've always had issues with them,
and we just never really could get along.
And my mom couldn't really take care of me
'cause she had a lot of health issues and stuff.
So she wasn't able to be there at all.
And so it just, I just couldn't stay there.
They wouldn't let me, partially,
and partially just 'cause I know I couldn't, you know?
- [Interviewer] It was a unhealthy environment.
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] So you left at 16, 17?
- Pretty much, yeah.
- [Interviewer] And tell me about going on the streets
as a young woman.
- It was really scary at first.
Especially, I mean, it still is,
but it was very scary 'cause of how unknown it was
at the beginning.
'Cause, I mean, I had pretty much no one,
and a lot of people like, especially downtown,
they wouldn't want to help me or interact with me at all.
Even like the full grown adults wouldn't wanna help me
or call anybody or nothing
because they saw that I was a minor,
you know what I mean?
So they'd like run from me almost.
So when I first didn't have any sort of shelter
and nothing and was just basically in a tent if that,
it just was really scary.
- [Interviewer] So you first started in a tent,
but then you got an RV?
- Eventually, yeah.
- [Interviewer] Seattle is sweeping areas,
and this area is scheduled for a sweep.
- This one?
- [Interviewer] Yes.
- Wow.
- [Interviewer] That's what Joe was telling me.
So for those watching,
we're out with the Vehicle Residency Outreach Team
who comes out and helps you.
- [Lux] Mm-hmm.
- [Interviewer] And I adore Joe and Jonah.
- Mm-hmm.
- [Interviewer] They're awesome.
- They are.
- [Interviewer] What would you want people to know
about homelessness?
You know, the people driving by, the house people,
the people going over in the plane.
What would you want them to know about homelessness?
- That just 'cause we're kind of like unknown
and kind of like a scary area,
doesn't mean that like,
we're not all out to get you,
you know what I mean?
Like, we're not all trying to harm the environment.
We're all, I know it's shitty and stuff,
but I mean it is what it is and it doesn't have to
be a thing that everybody hates,
you know what I mean?
It can be a, not a positive thing,
but it can be just, you know what I mean?
It does not, always has to be approached at such a angry...
- [Interviewer] Yeah, you're not an evil monster.
- Exactly.
And we're all not the same.
And we're, there are,
especially those ones on the face of it,
who are all causing problems in public and stuff like that.
Like, that shits fucking embarrassing for us too,
you know what I mean?
Like it's not everyone. (giggles)
- [Interviewer] Well house people cause embarrassments
in public too.
- Yeah, but you know what I mean?
- But, yeah, right. - The generalization, exactly.
- [Interviewer] But they blame us and then they
group us all together saying they're all like that.
- Mm-hmm.
Just, or 'cause they base a family member who
was a negative part in their life that is homeless,
you know what I mean?
And they use that as a generalization and just,
you know what I mean,
have this angry outlook on everybody who's homeless.
- [Interviewer] Now you were saying you had
some mental health issues that you're trying
to get help for.
Is anybody helping you?
- Right now, I've been trying to reach out for a while.
I've been going to a place called Youth Care,
which is downtown Seattle.
That's for like 18 to 25 year olds who are homeless.
And they're pretty cool,
but like I've been assigned a housing counselor
and we talked like once,
and then they suddenly don't work there anymore
and didn't tell me,
and I was waiting on an email.
Like it's just a bunch of waiting.
- [Interviewer] So you got a housing counselor,
but you're on the waiting list?
- Yeah, and then I found out that I'm not
on the waiting list because he never put me
on the waiting list and he doesn't even work
at the place anymore.
- [Interviewer] So they put, they told you they put you
on the waiting list and then they had a personnel change,
and turns out you're not on the waiting list.
- Yeah, he never submitted it or something.
- [Interviewer] Yeah, very common.
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] And sadly, homeless people...
- Everyone's waiting for housing, you know?
- Right. People are on the waiting list for years,
and years, and years.
- Years, years.
- [Interviewer] You know.
So besides the Vehicle Residency Outreach,
is anybody else helping you?
And the youth program?
- Not, I mean, not really yet,
but it's also partially my fault
'cause you have to go and show up there during work hours,
you know what I mean?
To talk to the right people to, you know?
And I know there are,
in the general sense when it comes to food and clothes
and stuff, there are actually a lot of people.
- [Interviewer] Right. There's lots of food.
- It's awesome, yeah.
- But not enough housing. - No.
- [Interviewer] There's plenty of food and,
yeah, I know you have to, you know,
you say it's your fault,
but when you leave your stuff gets stolen,
and it's not easy to, you know?
- Yeah. And definitely...
- [Interviewer] Do you have a bus pass?
- Huh?
- [Interviewer] Do you have a bus pass?
Do you have a car?
So it's not easy for you to get any place.
- I have a bike.
Yeah.
- [Interviewer] Right, right.
But downtown is pretty far.
- Yeah.
It takes me about,
I'd say to get from here to Youth Care,
it'd be about 25 minute to a half an hour bike ride
- Oh, that's not bad. - all uphill.
- [Interviewer] Yeah, yeah.
- But no, it isn't bad, but it's, yeah.
Thankfully.
And then the way back is fun. (giggles)
- [Interviewer] Oh, 'cause it's downhill.
- Oh yeah. (giggles)
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
So what's a day like?
Should I, I mean, you're a young female out here.
It's gotta be scary.
- I'm really lucky when it comes to,
I have a lot of really good friends out here
that I've found that I'm very fortunate for.
Like my roommate, he's awesome.
He's really sweet.
He's just...
- [Interviewer] You got somebody taking care of you.
- Yeah.
He's like a parental figure for me,
you know what I mean?
More than anything.
And he helped me with getting my RV and,
our RV, but...
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- He did have an RV, but his,
see he went to jail two days ago
and his RVs already got towed.
- [Interviewer] Oh my gosh.
- Out of nowhere.
And it was perfectly fine when he was here
and it was there when I fell asleep,
and I woke up and it's gone.
And it was, there was no tag, nothing.
They didn't put a sticker on it.
Nothing.
And so now when he gets out,
he's not gonna have a home.
- [Interviewer] Starts from scratch.
And an RV is better than a tent.
- It is, it's way better.
- [Interviewer] Especially with winter coming.
- Oh, yeah.
It makes a world of a difference.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
So what's your future like?
- I'm not sure, but I'm aiming for it to go up,
you know what I mean?
- [Interviewer] Well, you're young.
You'll do it.
- Wherever, I hope that we'll be at the most like,
I don't know how to put it.
Like, I'm not sure, but I know that as long as I do
what I think is right and trust my gut
then it'll probably, it'll go up, you know?
- [Interviewer] Well, you have to be a survivor our here.
Oh, what's your cat's name?
- Her name's Moth.
I gotta put her inside 'cause she wants to go inside.
- [Interviewer] Okay.
Well, hey, we can end.
We can end.
Unless there's anything else you'd like to say.
- Thank you. (giggles)
- [Interviewer] If you had three wishes,
what would they be?
- I wish that there would be world peace.
And by that more just like,
just equality and just how the community is.
Just like, (giggles)
she wants to go inside, I'm sorry.
- [Interviewer] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [Lux] One sec.
- [Interviewer] Cat's rule.
- Yeah, she's like, I wanna go in. (giggles)
But, the second one would probably be
that I could live in like a castle. (giggles)
That'd be cool. - [Interviewer] Castle?
- Yeah. (giggles)
If we're talking three wishes. (giggles)
- [Interviewer] Oh yeah, yeah, no.
- And the third one probably be that I could fly.
(Lux giggles)
- [Interviewer] Okay, cool.
World peace, a castle, and being able to fly.
All great wishes.
Well, thank you very much for talking to me.
- Thank you.
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