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Austin's Leading Local News: Weather, Traffic, Sports and more | Austin, Texas | KVUE.com
PHOTOS: Our Homeless: Struggle on the Streets
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John Gusky
67-year-old Lorenzo is from San Marcos and is a double amputee. He lost part of one leg and part of his other foot to frostbite.
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John Gusky
Lorenzo said he became homeless after physical rehab. He had nowhere to go and cannot work.
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John Gusky
Lorenzo (sunglasses), Rene (orange shirt) and Robert (grey shirt) try to survive the Central Texas heat. They said to beat the heat they "stay under the bridge or in any shade anywhere."
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John Gusky
Carlos has been homeless 6 years. He is from San Antonio and family and work issues forced him onto the street. Carlos said he likes Austin. "People are nice, police don't hassle as much."
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John Gusky
Andrea from Austin and dog Titan. Andrea has been homeless for four months after a relationship went bad, her partner and provider left and she had nothing. She is pregnant. "People who drive by are very rude...they throw things...rocks, egs. I try to keep the area clean, but those who throw stuff at me are not helping." Photo taken by KVUE's John Gusky at Research Boulevard and Balcones Woods.
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John Gusky
26-year-old Rose and her dog Cupid. Rose is from Orange County, CA and has been in Texas for the past eight years. She has been homeless for 10 years after her mom threw her out of the house and she decided to live a "squatter's life." "It's a struggle and we need help." Photo taken by KVUE's John Gusky at Highway 183 and Cameron Road.
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John Gusky
26-year-old Rose and her dog Cupid. Rose is from Orange County, CA and has been in Texas for the past eight years. She has been homeless for 10 years after her mom threw her out of the house and she decided to live a "squatter's life." "It's a struggle and we need help." Photo taken by KVUE's John Gusky at Highway 183 and Cameron Road.
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John Gusky
Photo taken by KVUE's John Gusky at U.S. 183 and Cameron Road.
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John Gusky
Photo taken by KVUE's John Gusky at U.S. 183 and Cameron Road.
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John Gusky
Sean, 44, from Castroviolle, TX. Sean has been homeless for four years. He quit his job to take care of his ailing father and after his dad died, he had no resources. "Please don't judge us." Photo taken by KVUE's John Gusky at Research Boulevard and Spicewood Springs Road.
11/65
John Gusky
Sean, 44, from Castroviolle, TX. Sean has been homeless for four years. He quit his job to take care of his ailing father and after his dad died, he had no resources. "Please don't judge us." Photo taken by KVUE's John Gusky at Research Boulevard and Spicewood Springs Road.
12/65
John Gusky
30-year-old Tim is from Georgetown and has been homeless for five years. He earns about $100 a day washing car windows. "Please have some respect for the homeless 'casue you don't know what's going on in our lives or how we got here." Photo taken by KVUE's John Gusky at U.S. 183 and Cameron Road.
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John Gusky
Homeless cleanup at U.S. 183 and Burnet Road. Photo by KVUE's John Gusky.
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John Gusky
Homeless cleanup at U.S. 183 and Burnet Road. Photo by KVUE's John Gusky.
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John Gusky
Homeless cleanup at U.S. 183 and Burnet Road. Photo by KVUE's John Gusky.
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John Gusky
Homeless cleanup at U.S. 183 and Burnet Road. Photo by KVUE's John Gusky.
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John Gusky
Homeless cleanup at U.S. 183 and Burnet Road. Photo by KVUE's John Gusky.
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John Gusky
Homeless cleanup at U.S. 183 and Burnet Road. Photo by KVUE's John Gusky.
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John Gusky
Homeless cleanup at U.S. 183 and Burnet Road. Photo by KVUE's John Gusky.
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John Gusky
Homeless cleanup at U.S. 183 and Burnet Road. Photo by KVUE's John Gusky.
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John Gusky
David and Elizabeth sit on the sidewalk with their dog Bridget.
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John Gusky
Homeless seek shelter under a bridge in Austin. Surrounding them are the materials they use to make their own "home" on the streets.
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John Gusky
Larry, 37-years-old, is from Florida. He's been in Austin for two years and became homeless after losing his job at a restaurant. In this image, he stands at Far West Boulevard and Mopac.
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John Gusky
Trash along the curb following church under the bridge. On the right side of the image you will notice a full trash bag. The larger the homeless population, the more trash the event produces, letting you see the large number of people in need around Austin.
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John Gusky
Rob Kemp, 28-years-old stands in front of a parking garage at 6th Street and Congress Ave. Lived in Dayton, Texas a majority of his life. His real mom abandoned him at a young age and left him with a family that raised him. He found out his mother was in Austin, so he gave her a call and met her here. He had a job at Subway when he first arrived. Gave his two weeks notice when he thought him and his mother were going to move to Oklahoma, but it never happened and he has been on the streets ever since. He has been in Austin seven years now and has been in and out of hotels. "I'm not looking to be homeless forever," said Kemp. His goal is to get a form of identification and his social security card so he can get off of the streets.
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John Gusky
Christopher, 47-years-old, is from Nashville and has been in Austin for one year. In this image, he sits under State Highway 45 at Lake Creek Parkway. He suffers from severe depression, bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia. "I don't do well brother... people's rules," stated Christopher.
27/65
John Gusky
Homeless sleeping under a bridge near where church under the bridge takes place. A weekly event where churches bring services to the homeless.
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John Gusky
Paul, 51-years-old, is from Abilene and has been in Austin for one year. He stands at the intersection of Cameron Road and U.S. Highway 183 with a sign reads "OL' School VET - Need a lil' help!! - Hate Doin' THis, But.... - GOD BLESS"
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John Gusky
An unidentified man is seen taking a break on Cesar Chavez Street with his belongings alongside.
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John Gusky
Justin, 30-years-old, is from Tulsa, OK.
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John Gusky
Frank, 47-years-old, is from Austin and in the photo above is receiving an EKG.
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John Gusky
Roy, 56-years-old, is from Dallas and sits with a smile on his face as he awaits medical care.
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John Gusky
Gloria, 58-years-old, is from Lawton, OK and sits near Lake Creek Parkway, under State Highway 45. She has been in Austin for four years. Gloria said she became homeless because she just gave up after her husband passed away, leading her down a path of depression.
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John Gusky
Trash left behind after church under the bridge in Downtown Austin.
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John Gusky
Brian, 35-years-old, is an artist. He sits on the wall next to his guitar playing friend Jason, 40-years-old. Jason is from Duluth, MN and has been in Austin for one week. He is homeless by choice and wanted to start over somewhere warm. Brian became homeless after he got into a fight and got arrested, leading him to lose his job and his apartment. “You don’t have one thing, you lose another…” said Brian. “We’re all in this together… ‘this’ being life. Seat next to me could be yours. It’s just the way things are…”
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John Gusky
Jason, 40-years-old, is from Duluth, MN and sits on a wall near Anderson Road and Burnet Road playing his guitar. At the time this photo was taken he had been in Austin one week. He is homeless by choice and chose Austin to start over in a place that is warm.
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John Gusky
Brain, 35-years-old, sets out some of his artwork. He is from Richmond, VA, but has been in Austin for seven years.
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John Gusky
Brian, 35-years-old, and Jason, 40-years-old, sit at the intersection of Anderson Road and Burnet Road, both artists in different forms.
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John Gusky
Cups left behind after church under the bridge.
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John Gusky
Tiffany Duvall, 32-years-old stands near construction at 6th Street and Congress Avenue during a chilly morning. Construction, a sign of economic growth in the city, surrounds those who are missing out on the financial gain. Tiffany said she has been homeless for three years after black mold was found in her apartment. She said she now spends her time going around and hanging out.
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John Gusky
Homeless gather at church under the bridge, held weekly to assist those in need around the Downtown Austin area.
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John Gusky
8:50 a.m. on Nov. 4, 2018. Different churches come weekly to offer services for a population of people in need under the bridge. On this day, Christ Church of Austin was seen helping those in need.
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John Gusky
Leslie, 48-years-old, has a bite to eat at church under the bridge. She is from Abilene and has been homeless for 9 years. She said she has been homeless because she has been unable to get a job.
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John Gusky
Church under the bridge hosted by Christ Church of Austin on Nov. 4, 2018. On this day they served bananas and apples to the homeless.
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John Gusky
Tables set out for church under the bridge, where different churches come weekly to offer services to the homeless.
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John Gusky
Trinity Methodist Church distributes donated clothing from the back of a pick-up truck at church under the bridge, an event where different churches come weekly to offer services to the homeless population.
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John Gusky
Church under the bridge is an event held weekly to help the homeless. It does not matter what church you are a part of or your beliefs.
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John Gusky
Francisco, 84-years-old, is from Mexico and works at an apartment. In this image he is seen at church under the bridge, where different churches come weekly to offer services to the homeless population.
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John Gusky
Mark, 62-years-old, flashes a smile to the camera on Sixth Street and Brazos Street, while he sits in his wheelchair. Mark is from Montana and has been homeless for 14 years. He said he came to Austin because his half-sister lived here, but she was into drugs and it just didn't work out. He said he served in the Army in Desert Storm, after being 'blown up' he is now in a wheelchair. He plays the drums on the sidewalk and is an artist.
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John Gusky
Mark James, 62-years-old, flashes a smile to the camera on Sixth Street and Brazos Street, while he sits in his wheelchair. Mark is from Montana and has been homeless for 14 years. He said he came to Austin because his half sister lived here, but she was into drugs and it just didn't work out. He said he served in the Army in Desert Storm, after being 'blown up' he is now in a wheelchair. He plays the drums on the sidewalk and is an artist.
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John Gusky
Gunnar, 64, is from Norway and has been in Austin since 2004. He used to work at a national shipping and freight company.
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John Gusky
Gunnar's wife became seriously ill and went into a coma. Around the same time, Gunnar started to lose his eyesight. While they were both in the hospital, his wife's ex-husband took legal ownership of their trailer and they had no place to go except the street.
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John Gusky
Gunnar's eyesight is 70% gone. "I pray for everyone who gives me money," said Gunnar. "Even if it's only 2 cents... I pray for them." Gunnar stands at Anderson Lane and Northcross Drive.
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John Gusky
Ray, 31-years-old, stands under the U.S. Highway 183 overpass at Cameron Road. He is from Long Beach, CA and has been in Austin for six years.
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John Gusky
Jason sits on a bench next to his bike. He came to Austin from Dallas.
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John Gusky
Floyd, 62-years-old, has been in Austin all of his life. He served in the U.S. Army from 1975-1980. He became homeless after he had problems at home and developed a drug problem. His mother also became sick with cancer. He is looking to not be homeless for long and is looking for trade jobs. "It's scary out here," said Collins. In this image, Collins stands near the corner of Seventh Street and Red River Street.
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John Gusky
Kim and Ken are a couple living on the streets of Austin. Kim is a University of Texas graduate and is from Houston. She has been in Austin for 10 years. She worked as a live-in home health care worker, but was evicted after her patient/employer was removed from home. Ken is from Portland, OR and has been in Austin for two and a half years. He lost family members and a job didn't work out, stranding him in Austin. The couple met in Austin and have been together ever since.
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John Gusky
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John Gusky
Jennifer, 40-years-old, is from Houston and has been in Austin for seven years. She said, "Best to get away from my family. Lots of problems with them." She sits under State Highway 45 at Lake Creek Parkway.
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John Gusky
Lucky, 40-years-old, is from Tulsa and has been in Austin for three years. He sits on steps outside of a building at Guadalupe Street and 22nd Street. Lucky said, "Not all of us are dangerous people, but we can be... We have to protect ourselves."
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John Gusky
With elegant architecture as his backdrop, Lucky, 40-years-old, sits on the curb and waits for someone to pass and allow him to apply his art as a comedian. Lucky came from Tulsa and has been in Austin for three years. While he has been in Austin for three years, he has been homeless for 18 years after he lost his job and could not afford a place to rent. "Not all of us are dangerous people, but we can be..." said Lucky. "We have to protect ourselves."
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John Gusky
Lucky, 40-years-old, is from Tulsa, OK and has been in Austin for three years. He sits on the curb at Guadalupe Street and 22nd Street. Lucky has been homeless for 18 years after he lost his job and couldn't afford a place to rent. "Not all of us are dangerous people, but we can be," said Lucky. "We have to protect ourselves."
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John Gusky, KVUE
Shane, 30, sits under the Ben White Overpass in South Austin. He said criminal activity (to support his drug habit) prevents him from getting a job.
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John Gusky
Shane, 30-years-old, sits at his homeless camp with his friends "Chuco" and "Irish" while an unidentified man sleeps in the background.
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John Gusky, KVUE
Homeless camps seen under the Ben White Overpass at Frontier Trail in South Austin on Christmas Day.
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John Gusky
67-year-old Lorenzo is from San Marcos and is a double amputee. He lost part of one leg and part of his other foot to frostbite.
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