This woman was really inspiring. She has been deaf the better part of her life. As most non-hearing people she spoke with a lot of difficulty, she was however able to read lips. As my first cousin is deaf i learned sign language when i was 12 and am able to maintain a conversation, so that's how we communicated. Bare with me, i'm not the best at translation but here is the interview. ( i had to film this with my camera as she spoke in sign so it took me a while sorry)  

1. What’s your name & age My name is Dana Pensek. I am 21 years old.

2. Were you raised in a religious house hold?  Yes, my parents took religion very seriously, but never forced it on my or my sisters.

3. How long have you been homeless? I don’t like labels. I’d much prefer people called me free than homeless. I do have a home. It is wherever I feel at ease.  I don’t understand how having a house is necessary.  I don’t need to have a place to feel normal.  I’ve been without a house for four years. I like it. I have a good time and I meet people.

4. Do you have any siblings or close relatives? I have three hearing sisters and one brother that I don’t talk to anymore.

5. What area do you prefer to stay in? I move so often I wouldn’t know. I sleep in any place indoors I can find but otherwise, I’m never in one area for too long. I don’t like it.

6. What is the general response you get from people regarding your appearance?  I can’t talk to people; I’m mute because of my voice. I don’t care to look at them. I don’t need people to make me feel bad about myself.

7. Are you religious?  No, I don’t have the time to be religious.

8. How did you become homeless? It’s quite a story. I don’t remember when exactly but I know that I’ve been deaf a while. I don’t ever remember speaking. I was so afraid of speaking because my voice would sound different. I wasn’t able to say things like everyone else. I hated that. I think it was when I was going into high school that my mother decided to put me into special school for people like me. What about elementary? There weren’t any programs for me there. My mom made the teachers feel sorry for me so they would let me pass everything. I learned things by reading. I never spoke until they put me into a special high school. That was the best time of my life. I learned how to talk and how to sign. I was really good at it. I spoke all the time. Yeah? Yes! I was really ambitious! But we weren’t rich. I have three sisters so it was difficult for my parents to make ends meet. They wanted to help me but they didn’t want to spend all of my sisters’ savings to do so.  My mother worked two jobs and my father as well. It was so difficult for them; they didn’t want to say so. They never learned to sign. The only one was my sister Hannah. They didn’t have the time to learn how. I couldn’t speak to them about it. When I graduated high school, I could tell that my parents were so so proud of me. I wanted to continue to college so bad, but we didn’t have the money. My brother started to hate me because my mother had to use his college money to pay for my education. I knew I was a burden to them so I decided to leave. My parents loved me very very very much, of course. Secretly, I hoped that after I left they would be looking for me. I hoped that they would get the police involved and look for me, but they didn’t. I know that they love me but I also know that they are better off now. I didn’t have anywhere to go and wouldn’t talk to anyone. Now I’m on the streets.

9. Do you visit any programs to help the homeless? If so do they help? I go to soup kitchens sometimes but I don’t like being around hearing people. I normally don’t stay anywhere long enough.  

10. Do you have any plans for the future? I wanted to be a teacher for the deaf but now, I don’t know. I think I want to be happy.

This young man was kind of pretty great. He had a very familiar face but insisted I protected his anonymity so of course I did. He's really nice and really great. This is his story 

 1. What’s your name & age I’m Andre Catalan. But with a “C” I’m 18

2. Were you raised in a religious house hold?  No, not with my parents.  They were complete hippies. If anything I was taught about reincarnation and that kind of f*ck

3. How long have you been homeless? (laugh) whoa, sh*t. There isn’t a specific date or whatever. Um… I guess a little after the semester started.  My parents had an apartment but we’d on weekends, we’d spend the entire day in the park. That’s cool. Yeah, it really was. They’re on the street to I guess.  

4. Do you have any siblings or close relatives? I’m pretty cool with my sister. I don’t see often. She wasn’t down with the lifestyle, I guess. She’s got an apartment in Westmount.  

5. What area do you prefer to stay in? I like to hang out in Mont- Royal. The park is so awesome and I have a shed there. Also in homeless shelters… but only when the holiday hype goes down. Around Christmas and sh*t.

6. What is the general response you get from people regarding your appearance?  People often assume I’m an idiot. (laugh) I’m actually pretty smart… for the most part (laugh).  Of course I look dirty; I haven’t showered in like 2 weeks.

7. Are you religious?  No… I think religion is the sort of thing you need parents to get into. My parents didn’t know much about it.   

8. How did you become homeless?  Uh well, um... I went to a pretty okay high school, you know. There was a lot of bullying and a lot of bad things going on. But I did okay, I think. I had average, or above average grades.  But the last semester in my final year I pretty much gave up. I didn’t care about anything. I was really upset… Do you mind if I ask why? Not at all, people started to find out about my parents. As you know, they were hippies and it wasn’t a good school, so, of course I was made fun of and it wasn’t great. I didn’t get much support from my parents. They, of course would say thing like forgive them, it’ll be okay and sh*t like that. Anyway, I had to go to a sh*t cegep and it sucks because we don’t have a lot of money. My books cost like 950$ and for tuition and sh*t… we couldn’t afford it so I sold my apartment for some money.  

9. Do you visit any programs to help the homeless? If so do they help? Yeah I mean, sometimes. It really sucks because they’re not good help when you actually need it.

10. Do you have any plans for the future? Yeah actually, I’ll be living here for the next year or so. I’ll work on the side. I have a job at McDonald’s and at Couche-Tard. I’ll save money and shit until I have enough for books and school tuition. 

This women I interviewed was a drug addict. She told me not to add her admitting her addiction in the interview but wanted me to mention it. She didn't speak much, and if she did it was compulsive repetition. Anyway this is her story

 
1. What’s your name & age?  I’m Chevron Roberts. 29.

2. Were you raised in a religious house hold?  No

3. How long have you been homeless?  6 years

4. Do you have any siblings or close relatives? If so, what is your relationship with them like? No, they hate me

5. What area do you prefer to stay in? And Why?  Pie IX. I don’t know why

6. What is the general response you get from people regarding your appearance?  Does anyone give a f*ck?

7. Are you religious? No

8. How did you become homeless?  (she mumbled things) I was trying to get clean but I can’t…

9. Do you visit any programs to help the homeless? If so do they help?  I stay here. Here’s my home.

10. Do you have any plans for the future? People want me to give them things. I don’t have anything give anymore... (she repeated this for a while)

This is really interesting, I recognize a couple but i'm surprised they're so thorough

This guy was great. He was a little intimidating at first but he turned out to be a complete sweetheart. He was so nice and polite, it brought me to tears. He is québecois, but his English was great. I got him a sandwich and two water bottles at a restaurant near by. I interviewed him the 11th of December 2013. This is what he had to say

1. What’s your name & age?  Alec Guerin I have 40 year old

2. Were you raised in a religious house hold?  I don’t think my parents like religion much

3. How long have you been homeless?  I have been uh… homeless since I was 37year old. 

4. Do you have any siblings or close relatives? If so, what is your relationship with them like? I have three brother, we have a good relationship. They are nice, they bring me food sometime.

5. What area do you prefer to stay in? And Why?  I stay in Mont Royal. There a lot of fun people. A lot of students and a lot of weed to buy. They are really nice and they leave very late. I don’t smoke anymore because Marie-Anne got me to stop. I like being close to them though. It make me feel happy like when I was young too.

6. What is the general response you get from people regarding your appearance?  I don’t care to know. Im too old to be uh… insecure, you know. People think what they think. 

7. Are you religious? I never learned about religion. I know that Jesus exist but I don’t know anything

8. How did you become homeless?  I got renvoyé.. I didnt have money or friends so i lost my house. My wife, Marie-Anne died a while after we lose the house, she suicided. I was alone and was sad.  My brothers like me but not enough to let me stay with them. They kick me out too. And I had to live on the street.

9. Do you visit any programs to help the homeless? If so do they help?  I get to sleep at the Maison Tangente a couple of time but they are very busy in winter. If you are not priorité, they don’t let you sleep there.

10. Do you have any plans for the future? I want to be happy again. I tired of feeling sad and I’m tired of missing her all the time (he cried a little) I want to live again like everyone else

I was literally crying when she told me her story. I interviewed her December 11th 2013.  I really.. wow. I don't think any introduction I could come up with would render it justice. I gave her a hot chocolate and a croissant at Tim Horton's, a lunch box with fruits and an old sleeping bag of mine. This is her story

 1. What’s your name & age My name is Cat Spence… spelled like a cat, not with a “k”. And Im turning 20 years old this February.

2. Were you raised in a religious house hold?  Daddy was a church man. He went to church every day, every day. Not my mother (laugh) My mother never gave a f*ck about anything with religion because of Daddy.

3. How long have you been homeless? (laugh) I hate that! (she kept laughing for a while) It’s easy to just call a bunch of people a certain name, huh? Has anyone ever called you a n*gger? Yes. I bet you hate it don’t you? Yeah, I do. It’s the same thing… They just like everyone to be perfect and to look perfect. If you aint got a house (laugh) If you aint got a house well you’re put in to our category of people. And what category would that be? The f*ckers! (laugh) You gotta admit, it aint easy for us. If you don’t got a dick, you aint blond with blue eyes and don’t got a nice house in the suburbs, you’re one of us! They put us here, girlie. They? Them! (pointing to the people that were walking around us) I’ve been here my whole life. None of them ever stopped to talk to me. Only once and it was the police to arrest me cause I was in an alley for more than 20 minutes or some sh*t. Do you know what they call that? No, what? They call that the law my dear (laugh) they call that the law!

4. Do you have any siblings or close relatives? If I do I’ve never met ‘em (laugh)

5. What area do you prefer to stay in? You gotta be smart with that you know. If I stay out, I can get robbed, raped, beaten up? F*ck no. I’ve had too much of that for one life, thank you! You stay in the metro, you stay inside. I got caught 2 times but the TSM don’t do sh*t about it! Haha, do you mean the STM? (laugh) yeah that one too (laugh)

6. What is the general response you get from people regarding your appearance?  No one pays attention to my appearance! They know I’m gonna look like trash, why bother giving a second look? Let me tell you something. I’ve lived here all my life. And there aint anyone that had the balls to look at my face. You know why? No, why? They like it better when they think I’m trash.  Look, have you ever seen a stray dog? Yes. You can’t look it in the eye can ya? Tell me you’ve already been able to look a stray dog in the eyes and be able to walk home like nothing. You can’t. So you don’t look at it.

7. Are you religious?  I don’t understand. Do you believe in God? No I understand that (laugh) I don’t get it much, you know. People are always so busy planning what’s they think is gonna happen to them after they die? That’s plain dumb. Worry about how f*cking sh*t life is now, then talk to me about your plans for maybe what might happen after. Well said.

8. How did you become homeless?  I aint got that good of a story, sweets. My mother didn’t want me. She gave me to my Daddy. I visited her sometimes but… I aint like her much, you know. Daddy took me in but he was always at church working. I was never important. Daddy had a lot of stress and had pulled me out of school when I was still a little girl. (she started crying) He used me to relieve his stress. He said I looked like my mother (she started to weep. It took her a while to get back. I told her she didn’t have to continue and I understood but she told me she absolutely wanted to) I left and took all his money. It’s the least he could give me right? I’m not a thief. I never took anything from nobody in my whole life except from Daddy. I don’t want him to know about it, so I gave you a fake name, is that okay? Of course it is, Cat. (pause) I didn’t know what to do with the money. I spent it on my ink (she showed me her sleeves and the pieces on her legs and told me about their symbolism)

9. Do you visit any programs to help the homeless? If so do they help? Yeah. The Maison Tangeante is a cool place. It’s the only one I know. (I gave her the name and address of other places)

10. Do you have any plans for the future? I don’t know. I guess I wanna get out of this. I wanna forget everything that got me here and just… I don’t know.

Woman found dead in tent under Pontchartrain Expressway overpass after freezing night

http://uptownmessenger.com/2014/01/woman-found-dead-under-pontchartrain-expressway-overpass/