While Robin has a gentle manner, he tends to speak in short, repetitive phases. "I'm from Chicago. I like to eat a lot. I'm from Chicago." * His personality reminded me of the mentally handicapped character Dustin Hoffman mastered in Rain Man. * "Down and out" is how the 42-year-old Chicago native described living on the streets. "Can you imagine being down your whole life, every day? You get really tired of it," he says.* Like Robin, an estimated 3.5 million Americans--a population larger than metro Phoenix--live without shelter every year. * As if existing without shelter and daily meals isn't challenging enough for the homeless, many cities across the country, including Tempe, have made it a crime to be "down and out" and live on the streets. While most cities provide shelters as an option for the homeless to avoid breaking new urban camping laws, Tempe is not one of those cities. * Robin, who's been on the streets for eight years, says he has been arrested several times. Robin is a criminal because he has no home. * While for many homelessness is a choice, as I trailed Robin for a day, this photographer found it hard to believe Robin was living on the streets by choice. Robin blames no one but himself for his current situation, saying he wishes to get off the streets one day. But given his mental state, some would find it hard to fault Robin for his living conditions.
Click here for the slideshow.
Reach the reporter at matthew.garcia3@asu.edu.
