- [Interviewer] Jacob, we're in Salt Lake City.
You're homeless, tell me about it.
- The cops give us no rest, I mean,
we can't even sleep at the park anymore,
because it's against the health department code to camp.
I mean, even if we sleep here we get ticketed.
There was one night, I couldn't even get a full hour's sleep
because I was getting woken up by cops
and told to go from place to place.
And I would just go and lay down,
and be woken up an hour later,
go lay down another place, and get woken up,
I mean, I had five tickets that night.
- [Interviewer] Wow, but then you don't have income
to pay the tickets?
- No, I don't.
I mean, I've, sure I try to go get a job,
but everyone who knows, you know,
people see people around here, and they know I'm homeless,
and they don't hire homeless person around here,
just because they have some sort
of discrimination against them.
- [Interviewer] Now, how did you end up homeless?
- I was aged out of foster care.
You just age out, you turn 18, you know,
the world just says,
"okay, you're an adult now, go and fend for yourself."
- [Interviewer] Oh my gosh.
And that was your first time homeless?
- That's why I've been homeless every since.
No one ever taught me how to write a check,
I don't know the first thing about expenses,
renting an apartment, I don't know--
- [Interviewer] 'Cause there's no life skills
taught in house foster care?
- I couldn't tell time until I was 17.
- [Interviewer] Oh my gosh.
- I mean, I had a watch, but it was just for show.
- [Interviewer] So what was the foster care situations like?
- Well, I was in four places, I was one in Montana,
I was one in Montego Bay, Jamaica,
and I was in Mansfield, Texas,
and another one on Vista, San Diego.
And the Vista, San Diego one was the only one
that was in any way beneficial,
the other ones were more or less kid prisons.
- [Interviewer] Kid prisons, oh my God.
- For less of a better term, for lack of a better term.
Because, low 14s, I mean, Montana,
obviously out-of-country placements,
they're somehow related to placements,
they're without child laws.
I mean, you are literally the property of your parents.
And they can choose whatever to do with you.
I mean, you're just property, you're not even anyone.
- [Interviewer] So when you aged out, at 18,
your 18th birthday, you just get kicked out on the streets?
- I was told to pack up my stuff and go.
- [Interviewer] On your 18th birthday?
- On my 18th birthday.
- [Interviewer] That's horrible, man.
- The state didn't pay for me to be there anymore.
- [Interviewer] So, I let you go.
- Yep--
- [Interviewer] So then what, then how do your survive?
- I went to a gas station, I met a bum.
He taught me how to pan-handle.
I literally walked down the street until I found--
- [Interviewer] On your birthday.
- Yep, and made friends with him,
and spiraled off, I met some other people,
and they taught me how to live, and I've been--
- [Interviewer] So then you've been surviving
out on the streets ever since.
- I was from California, recently I took to traveling,
you know, and I've been God knows everywhere,
but I ended up here in Salt Lake City here in 2013.
- [Interviewer] And you're 21 now.
- Yes, sir.
- [Interviewer] So what's your future like?
- Honestly, I'd like to get a guitar, and become a musician.
But other than that, I have no set realistic plans.
I don't know, I'm just hoping something cool comes
along my way, and I can take opportunity of it.
- [Interviewer] And you're sleeping outside,
where'd you sleep last night?
- Right in the park, right over there,
where I'm averaged to get a ticket every night, but, it's--
- [Interviewer] So, you have no choice
but to sleep in a park that's illegal for you to sleep in?
- Well, I could sleep on the sidewalk and get a ticket,
I could sleep over there and get a ticket,
you know, no matter where I go, I get the ticket.
- [Interviewer] Right, the criminalization
of homelessness and homeless needs is really a crisis, so.
If you had three wishes, what would they be?
- One could, that people
that have some kind of resources can open their hearts,
and just say, hey, what if this were me?
And, I know rich people can't understand
a poor man's plight, but, if you have something,
how much money do you need to live and be happy?
I mean, we don't, I don't even have a dollar to my name.
I literally have not a cent in my wallet.
And I can find ways to be happy,
I can take a stroll through the park,
I can have a conversation with my friends,
and have a good time, and I don't need
to spend an enormous amount of money to be happy.
- [Interviewer] Wish number two?
- Honestly, it's like, I only have one wish.
If people would just understand more.
- [Interviewer] And wish number three.
- Leave it to somebody else, someone else needs a wish.
- [Interviewer] Well, thank you very much for talking.
- Yeah, I'm not very good at this camera thing, but.
- [Interviewer] You're great, you're very articulate, man.
Thank you for taking the time.
- Thank you, no worries.