Hope & Heartache: Inside the San Angelo Homeless Camp

Filmed Interview with Camp Resident Mary-Lou 

The two LIVE reporters also interviewed an elderly woman who is a semi-permanent resident of the camp.. 73-year-old Mary-Lou was born and raised in San Angelo and born at Shannon Hospital in the early 1950s. She lived off of Bell Street on Coke Street and attended Lake View High School. Mary-Lou stated that she dropped out of school and immediately began raising a family instead of attending college. 

Mary-Lou has been experiencing homelessness for quite some time, telling reporters she has lived at the camp on three separate occasions. Her pop-up home quarters consist of used plywood, random recycled lumbar, boxes, clothing, and tarps of various types. Her living quarters are shaped in the form of a circle and the center of the home is a fairly open space with a dirt floor. From what could be assumed, the quarters were separated into individual rooms or compartments, divided with either tarp or sheets. Each room was tarped off from view for privacy. Directly behind her was her bedroom with a used mattress on the ground and other various items used for everyday living. 

Mary-Lou also had an old barbecue pit that stood about two feet off the ground that she used to start fires for warmth and cooking. While there, just before beginning the filmed interview a young couple in their mid-twenties stood next to Mary-Lou in her quarters, building a fire in the pit to help her stay warm.. When asked about their endeavor, the two residents replied, “We are helping her to keep warm tonight by building this fire. We always try to help each other out like this.” 

When asked about their behavior and whether or not it was typical in the camp,  Mary-Lou responded, “Yeah, at the end of the day we are all in this together. This is our little community and we are family. Sure we fight over food sometimes and have little squabbles but at the end of the day we are always there for each other.”

Mary-Lou also informed reporters that the camp was one of the oldest Homeless encampments in Texas. She also explained that “the camp has a fairly organized community that is self-governed with enforced rules, procedures, and expectations." Surprisingly, Mary-Lou explained that the camp has a designated resident who has the authority to make major decisions, enforce rules and procedures, manage conflict, and ensure everyone is “well taken care of.” Mary-Lou spoke about this leader fondly and told LIVE reporters that he was very helpful and well-liked within the camp. She also explained that although the camp is open to the public, becoming a resident is a different story. According to Mary-Lou, for a newcomer to become a resident at the camp, current residents must participate in a democratic voting procedure. All residents must unanimously vote in favor of the candidate to become a resident before they are permitted to stay long-term.  

The reporters asked Mary-Lou to provide an example of the kind of rules agreed upon and enforced at the camp. Without hesitation, Mary-Lou said that “No Stealing” was one of the biggest and most important rules within the camp community. She explained that stealing another resident's food or property is the biggest violation one can make and that the camp’s enforcers have a zero-tolerance policy for such behavior. Those caught stealing are immediately kicked out of the camp and banned. Also, it can be assumed that those caught stealing receive a physical punishment as well. Mary-Lou eluded to the existence of additional rules but declined to disclose further information on the matter. 

Identifying Factors Contributing to the Homelessness Problem in San Angelo

Many blue-collar job opportunities simply do not exist anymore like they once did in rural communities. During the 1970s through the 1990s, most Texas cities typically had at least one major factory or power plant responsible for employing hundreds of blue-collar workers limited to specific skill sets. With the rapid advancement of technology and evolving economy, Texas cities are less reliant on major resources like coal, oil, steel, and farming & agriculture and therefore employ far fewer people for factory and plant jobs. This left them without wages and displaced within their communities. As a result, these displaced individuals with blue-collar level skills were alienated and often fell through the cracks, ending up in homeless camps, institutions, jails, or minimum-wage jobs while living with relatives.

The San Angelo LIVE reporters concluded after the first visit to the 14th Street homeless camp that many factors exacerbate the homelessness problem in San Angelo. One of the biggest takeaways from this initial visit is that many of these people have been impacted by economic hardship, assumably as a residual circumstance spawned by the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, other residents of the camp seemed to be “one-off” individuals experiencing homelessness who use the camp as a temporary “go-between” when they require a place to stay temporarily. Many of them have lost their jobs, were kicked out of their current living situation, are awaiting government assistance, or have mental illnesses such as PTSD. The reporters overhead residents discussing living expenses and the cost of apartment rentals in town and others who were waiting on government assistance checks to arrive. A few residents also told the reporters that they “aren't from San Angelo,” and that they “are just passing through.” Additionally, some residents insisted that we not take photos of them or record anything they say. These individuals clearly stated that their identities remain anonymous and they refused further involvement in any way. Therefore, it's reasonable to assume that the camp also acts as an asylum for criminals, bail jumpers, and those wanted for outstanding warrants. Lastly, the reporters encountered two residents with mental illnesses such as military veterans with PTSD.

Conclusion

In Conclusion, the 14th Street Homeless camp is a piece of private property owned by an ex-homeless man with a vision and a place that exists “off-the-grid,” for those with mental illnesses, who are experiencing economic hardship, who are currently without homes, or those who are seeking asylum. A big part of The Concho Valley Homeless Planning Coalition's mission is "To make the communities of the Concho Valley more responsive to the needs and interests of the homeless population by mobilizing all available resources to bring about a greater institutional sensitivity to the needs of the homeless and help meet those needs." San Angelo LIVE will continue to investigate the problem and publish updates and proposed solutions as fast as possible. Both San Angelo LIVE reporters Matt Cutrer and Lucas Banda will be investigating this issue further. The next article will be published by Lucas Banda as the two reporters dive deeper into homelessness during interviews with city officials, police, and the director of the Concho Valley Homeless Planning Coalition.