Finding love in a hopeless place

Nearly half a million Americans are homeless. What does their love life look like?

There are half a million homeless in America. If you are not one of them, you might frequently pass them on the sidewalk or bump into them in public restrooms where they are cleaning their armpits or brushing their teeth. Sometimes you can even see them being rejected service in coffee shops, if they still dare to enter these places that are wide open to the rest of us. Eating, sleeping, body wash – well, practically nothing seems to be private when you don't have roof over you head. So what about dating or sex? Is it possible to maintain an intimate relationship without a home?Or was the famous sociologist Maslow right when he proposed that basic needs like shelter must be satisfied before people try to attend higher needs such as love and belongingness?

“This might surprise you, but my experience is that it's easier to actually meet somebody and fall in love when you are homeless. My social life was very confusing before. I never had money and couldn't take girls out on dates or participate in anything. When I became homeless however, I all of a sudden became a part of a community. We were all in this together and I got to know people on a deeper level. I also met girls that became more than friends. Sex? Well, the experience is definitely different when you live in a tent under a bridge, but it's not really a problem. You just put a bike in front of the tent opening and the rest of the community will understand that you are busy. Lots of people out here also have radios and bluetooth speakers, so out of courtesy they will play music while having sex. Right now I live in an apartment, but I keep coming back here almost every day to be be with my community. And, to be honest, because I want to meet new girls.”

Thomas, 27, Oakland.

“I am not a kiss and tell kind of guy, but I could definitely tell you that I've got friends that have had success inside of dumpsters and on freight trains. It doesn't have to be traditional, that's for sure. Personally, my libido is not affected by being homeless. It is all about what I do and how I feel about it.”

Bryan, 28, San Francisco.

“I was married for nearly three years. I randomly met him in a park and we ended up camping together. At some point we decided that we really liked each other and had sex under a bridge. Now, I am single, but I hope to meet somebody someday. Pretty much everybody I know living on the street is in some kind of relationship. It is safer out here if you have a partner."

Tana, 31, San Francisco

“We were hooked on a roxys pill and originally left Florida to get clean, but that didn´t really work out. We squatted in Philly for threemonths, in New Orleans for three and a half years and now we are here on the west coast. We`ve been looking out for each other along the way and I feel our relationship is stronger than ever. We are lucky in that way, I guess. I see a lot of couples out here that have nothing more in common than an addiction, there's no love, no oneness.”

Briley, 26, Emeryville.

“There's something called trauma bonds. After all the things we have been through, I feel we are light years ahead of must couples in our ability to see and understand each other on a deep level.

Nick, 27, Emeryville.