My father was a carpenter and my mother was an aide at a school library. During the Great Recession, my father was unable to find work and my mother’s hours were cut. They could no longer afford their mortgage. We had to sell most of our things to keep the power on for as long as possible. We lost power, heat and water, and in the end, we were all sleeping in one mattress in an empty home we knew any minute would be repossessed. One afternoon, we came home to discover we were locked out of the house, and that’s when we started living in our van. We went from having a normal life and stable housing, to being homeless. We didn’t always have food, and sometimes my mother would have to choose between gas and food. My parents would take us to the park or to the beach to play all day. In a way, it was a time when I saw my parents and enjoyed them the most.

— Karla Garcia, 25, San Diego

Image Conor Kelly Credit... Conor Kelly

Conor grew up in Palo Alto and as a result of substance addiction, he resorted to living on the streets for a year and a half.

I was so caught up in my addictions that a big part of me didn’t want help. After first going to college, my partying got completely out of hand. I eventually was introduced to “harder” substances and became hopelessly addicted. I failed out and went through a series of rehabs to no avail. Eventually my degenerating behavior shut me off from friends and family, and after getting kicked off the last couch, I went to the streets.

— Conor Kelly, 28, Santa Cruz

Image John Brady Credit... John Brady

John spent a year living on the streets because of depression and a lack of alternatives.

I have a master's degree in business and marketing. About a decade ago, I was the victim of a hate crime and did not get the treatment I needed. Instead, I self-medicated which led to some poor decisions, the loss of my business and ultimately homelessness. I spent just shy of a year on the streets of San Diego. I used to look at homelessness as a result of personal decisions. Now I see things much more clearly.

The experience of being homeless is the most devastating of my life. I was suffering from major depressive disorder, anxiety and PTSD before I was on the street and those disorders only became worse while homeless. The one thing that kept me alive was the leadership of the Voices of Our City Choir and their belief in me.

— John Brady, 54, San Diego