Lizandro rests his arm on the brim of his classic Volkswagen van’s driver’s side door, taking in the cool winter air of the Mar Vista Rec Center. A group of men congregate nearby, drooling over what will soon be a tasty ceviche dinner. One of the men asks for the tomato and Lizandro points to the picnic table. He should know where it is—he was the one who bought the food.
Not that Lizandro is rich. In fact, he’s homeless. Voluntarily homeless.
Lizandro and is one of a growing number of Los Angeles residents living in his vehicle. According to last year’s Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority census, over 6,000 vehicles were being used as residences, an 85% increase over the previous count. Due to a dearth of affordable housing in L.A., that trend is growing, led by folks who are fed up by paying ballooning rent costs.
It’s a trend called “home-free” living, distinct from typical homelessness because of the crucial element of intent.
Lizandro made the decision to live home-free, parking his Volkswagen van-home near the local Whole Foods where he works, after a divorce. Suddenly he was on his own, working a job that barely paid his rent. But instead of getting a place further from his job, Lizandro moved into his Volkswagen. A 43-year-old bachelor living in his vehicle, he is perfectly content.
“I can live somewhere else and pay more,” he reasoned, “but then I waste more on commute. I love playing soccer, I love being at the beach. Everything kind of for me is right here.”
Unlike most Angelinos, Lizandro is saving money. He’s able to send money home to his family in Guadalajara, Mexico, and enjoy his top priorities–eating healthy and attending concerts. Thanks to his employee discount–and frugal lifestyle–he can afford to eat well without breaking the bank. He even feeds his friends.
“I used to be stressed,” Lizandro says. “‘Oh fuck, I’m paying too much,’ Then I didn’t feel good. I didn’t have energy. Believe me, there’s a big difference. I was sacrificing my health.”
What seems like a harmless lifestyle choice was, until recently, against the law. The 9th Circuit Court changed that in the summer of 2014, striking down Los Angeles Municipal Code 85.02 banning vehicular dwelling. It was criminalized homelessness, and the courts ruled it unconstitutional.
Lizandro is keen on doing right by the court decision, acting as a model home-free citizen. He talks about the painstaking efforts taken to keep quiet around housed residents and dispose of his waste responsibly, and encourages others to follow suit.
“I go to the gym, I have insurance, I work. I pay taxes,” Lizandro affirms. “I don’t go to the neighbors with my music blasting, or talking loud. I’m not causing any harm.”
Yet enemies to the lifestyle remain. Groups like the Venice Stakeholders Association act as gadflies against vehicular dwellers, using every opportunity to push an agenda of gentrification by vilifying those living in their cars. Without putting forth tenable solutions, Venice and other neighborhoods now enforce strict parking regulations to fight the trend, requiring permits for street parking or limiting overnight parking for oversized vehicles. These measures represent a de facto criminalization, treating the symptoms of the issue rather than the cause.
Lizandro is aware of the tendency to misunderstand his lifestyle—and the resultant consequences of misguided legislation. Still, he remains resilient, maintaining his positivity as well as he maintains his finances, persisting with his choice in the face of criticism.
“Society don’t pay my bills,” he says. “I can go back and prove to you that I’m not homeless. I can go rent me a place and be accepted into society. Oh, now I’m okay, you pat me on the back, I’m not homeless anymore. I don’t care.”
For now, Lizandro and others like him hope the city continues to not care, either. As for those who do, maybe stopping by the park for a taste of Lizandro’s famous ceviche dinner might change their minds.
– TOH
