Jose Cruz remembers when he became homeless.
After living in Detroit for 25 years, he had moved to Buffalo with a job at UPS, but was living in a house where another resident was selling heroin. When the house was raided by police, he was charged with possession, and jailed for 24 hours. And they were all evicted.
The criminal case was eventually dropped, but not before he spent all his money – $63,000 – on legal fees, leaving him with $537 and no place to go. He lived in his car for nearly three months before finding his way in October 2016 to the emergency men’s shelter at St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy, where he would live for the next five years.
“When you first get into shelter, it’s just a big sense of relief,” said Cruz, who is now living in transitional housing at St. Luke’s, while learning to be a missionary. “I’ve finally got a place to stay.”
At any given point in time in the Buffalo area, more than 1,500 people are homeless – living in shelters, abandoned buildings, makeshift campsites in the woods, under bridges and on the streets, or in their cars.
They struggle to find food and clothing. They live together in the elements or in tiny, cramped spaces.
Many are battling mental illness, addictions or other problems, which are often the root cause of their homelessness. Sometimes, they wind up in jail or a hospital.
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And their numbers are growing, particularly among men.
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