A Look at One Homeless Man’s Life in San Francisco

“I always kept to myself,” he says, shuffling his feet and occasionally glancing up at a truck rumbling by. “Still do. I don’t play the game out here.”

The game he’s referring to is what most homeless people on the streets of San Francisco do to survive: network, make connections, barter, band together. As Nate says, “It’s who you know to get what you want.”

He talks of the “bootleg recycling community” — a group of entrepreneurs in Hunter’s Point who buy bottles and cans from homeless collectors for 50 cents per pound and flip them for 90 cents per pound at a recycling center. This black market was created when city officials closed down the Safeway recycling centers that the homeless community relied on to make a few bucks, typically $2–3 for each large bag full of recyclables.

Another part of the “game” is getting to know the local beat police officers who patrol the neighborhood. Instead of befriending officers, Nate has avoided confrontation by staying “in places where the sun don’t shine”: the obscure alleyways and crevasses of the city. For 15 years, he has taken pride in being an invisible man.

Priceonomics talked to a homeless man in San Francisco named Nathaniel who has been on the streets for 15 years. Logan has been on this beat here in NYC, but it’s good to look at how the homeless navigate the streets in other cities. [Thanks to Liz for the pointer!]

Photo: Torbo kopper

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