James Houston, 55, and Karen, 51
Location: RV and compact car at Woodley Park in Woodland Hills
The roof of the faded Isuzu Rodeo sags under sun and dust, under pieces of plywood and tools and even an old pair of black work boots. But it gets James Houston and his wife, Karen, around when they want to leave the RV where they live full time near Woodley Park.
It’s just a matter of time before the old RV they bought at auction is towed away. They’ve gotten too many parking tickets, been harassed, Karen said, by too many police. They might own about $5,000 in parking fines by now, said Karen, who declined to give her last name.
So they’ve stuffed the Isuzu with all of their belongings, like clothes and shoes and Houston’s tools that he’s used to build big homes he could never live in, he said. There’s a pink 10-speed bike attached to the rear spare tire on the back of the vehicle. Houston and Karen park at the Gateway Plaza in Woodland Hills in the shade just to get away.
On Friday nights, they’ll have dinner at the New Friends Homeless Center at the United Methodist Church on Shoup Avenue.
The couple lives on Houston’s $900 disability check.
“We need more places to take showers,” said Karen, who has been homeless for seven years. She said it would also help if those who are homeless could use a church address to receive mail.
Houston said he’s been homeless for 25 years.
He’s lived in both the Antelope and San Fernando valleys, he said, working as a builder.
“I’ve built houses all my life,” Houston said. “I’ve built some really nice houses.”
Karen said helping the homeless doesn’t mean chasing them off to other places. She said she’s met people who need mental health care. Others just need a helping hand.
“We’re not going to all disperse and vanish,” she said.
— Susan Abram
