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Gilbert Garcia, 46, retreats through an opening in the bush to his home located along railroad tracks and in between the Walker and Grand Rapids city line on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009. Gilbert said he has lived there with his girlfriend, Julie Miller, for three years. Local police don’t intervene as long as the residents don’t do anything wrong.
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Michigan ranked fifth last year in the number of people living in homelessness. Throughout five countries in West Michigan, at least 13,332 men, women, and children have experienced homelessness in 2008. These numbers are expected to grow as the true effects of the economic meltdown come to light.
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Denny Heberly prepares to start his day in his Army-style tent reinforced by sheets of plywood. He supports himself, including his smoking and alcohol habits, with the money he makes collecting cans and bottles around town. “I’m alive to keep burning,” he said. “My equilibrium, that’s what my downfall is.” Heberly said he has lived there for six years and doesn’t plan to move anytime soon.
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From November to December 2009, Denny Heberly added a lockable front door, insulation, a deck and an indoor wood-burning furnace to his residence.
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. Dave, who didn’t want to give his last name or show his face, has a job and an apartment, but he said he makes so little that he can no longer afford rent. So he built this 10-foot-by-10-foot semi-permanent structure to live in until he can get back on his feet.
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He hauled in the scrap material to build the home by bicycle puller trailer. Dave hauled so much stuff that he donated extras for two other homes to be built and an extension to be added to his own home for his the stuff he continues to collect.
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“Here, take a picture of this,” Hoss, who is homeless, said during a Thanksgiving lunch provided by Ken Modzeleski and his family at Burt’s Surplus in Walker. Hoss refused to give his real name, because he said he has warrants for his arrest. Two weeks later, the police caught up to him and Hoss was arrested for violation of probation.
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Joe and Hoss joke around outside of Burt’s Surplus on Nov. 25, 2009. They don’t live at the camp in Walker, but they visit Denny Heberly often. However, the other residents of the camp don’t like them, because they are loud and cause trouble. Gilbert Garcia said he has threatened to call the police if they don’t stop visiting so often.
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Dave goes over to check on his neighbors on Dec. 14, 2010. New campers have erected two more semi-permanent homes for shelter during the 2010-11 winter. There are currently five homes housing eight full time residents.
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Julie Miller, 30, emerges from her home, which is built out of plywood pallets and a truck topper. Miller said her tough life – which includes being abandoned by her mother when she was 16, beaten by men, having children she can’t keep, drug abuse and trouble with the law – has given her bipolar disorder.
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Gilbert Garcia, 46, looks through a phone book for the numbers to local hospitals and the county jail outside his tent on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2009. His girlfriend, Julie Miller, never returned after leaving to do laundry early the day before.
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Gilbert Garcia and a visitor nicknamed Popeye cook beef patties and potatoes in front of Garcia’s camp on April 4, 2010. On the first Sunday of every month Garcia uses some of his government aid money to prepare a hot meal for whoever is there and wants one.
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Denny Heberly stuffs his backpack with food and drink at Burt’s Surplus, which takes in donations from the community to help residents of the camp. Heberly goes by there three times per week to get what he needs.
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