In August, a study counted 110 homeless people in Albany County, and some are still braving the weather and living outside right in Laramie.
The Albany County Homeless Taskforce conducted the study, and it was the second homeless survey to take place in the county, with the first in January, counting 124 people. Paul Heimer, United Way of Albany County executive director, said the study was done in collaboration with the Housing and Urban Development annual “Point in Time Survey,” which is mandated in order for a county to receive funds for homeless programs.
“The state of Wyoming finally decided it would get involved with homeless issues,” he said. “The organization and motivation was not in Albany County prior to last year to accomplish an effective Point in Time Survey.”
Data from this summer pointed to 45 unsheltered homeless, with the others being sheltered, meaning a person is in some form of paid housing, whether it be through groups like SAFV, Interfaith-Good Samaritan or Peak Wellness Center, Heimer said. Unsheltered categorizes people who have nowhere to go – living in cars, storage units, campsites, railroad tracks or under bridges, he added.
“We had three people who said they spent the previous night in the storage unit. We had three other people who identified their last permanent housing were the UW dorms,” Heimer said.
To conduct the survey, 50 volunteers were placed around the county in places where homeless people might frequent. News of the survey was spread through social service networks and a dinner at a local soup kitchen, Heimer said.
Contrary to what people might think, the homeless count went down in the summer. However, Heimer said the number of unsheltered people increased, partly due to better weather for camping.
“The number of people we were able to find was down. I think [the homeless population] might be double that number – that’s my best guess,” Heimer said.
Heck Boutwell, a 32-year old originally from Alabama, is an unsheltered, homeless person in Laramie. He has spent the past four weeks living under a bridge in West Laramie. Boutwell is not a typical homeless person, he said, adding that he embraces the lifestyle.
“This is usually what I do – this is my routine. I camp out for three weeks and then either find a job and apartment or move on,” Boutwell said.
Under the bridge Boutwell keeps his belongings, including two sleeping bags that can withstand sub-zero temperatures, boots from NU2U, a large backpack, a puzzle, a box of D.P. Dough, a six pack of beer from college friends and, surprisingly, a smart phone.
Although Boutwell identifies himself as a “southern hobo,” he is also taking classes through an online program out of Arizona State University and is aspiring to be an English major. He studies either at libraries or by downloading e-books onto his smart phone.
“It’s really hard to study for college with the lifestyle that I live, and I mean, I knew it was going to be hard. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but it’s more difficult than I think I really assumed,” he said.
Boutwell’s path to Laramie has been anything but short. Starting in California, Boutwell hopped on a train, taking him to Ogden, Utah and then to Sydney, Neb., he said.
In Nebraska, Boutwell said he felt unwelcomed. One day he was drinking a coffee and some cops forced him into their vehicle, where he was eventually dropped off at the Wyoming state line.
“I was like, ‘I ain’t done s— wrong but drink a sip of Starbucks in Kimbell County [Nebraska].’ That was the only act of humanity I did in that county is drink a Starbucks,” Boutwell said.
Using a quarter of his money, Boutwell took a taxi for $45 to Cheyenne. From there, he hopped on the Union Pacific and jumped off in Laramie. He said he broke several ribs and his pinky from the jump, as the train was still moving 10 mph.
“It wasn’t stopping either. It was going to keep on going all the way to Rawlins, and I didn’t fancy the idea of going to Rawlins,” Boutwell said.
As for life in Laramie, Boutwell has found it accommodating. He has worked several jobs and considers himself a “D.P. Dough addict.” On average, Boutwell said he spends $15 a day on a pack of cigarettes, two meals and cup of coffee.
Near his campsite, there is a “hobo wall,” where Boutwell said people leave each other messages. Sometimes the notes include artwork or directions. For example, Boutwell said he primarily leaves instructions identifying which direction the trains travel.
“We call it the hobo code,” he said. “You’ve got all kinds of different degrees of homelessness, and we have our markers to let people know what kind of homeless we are.”
Whether or not he settles down in Laramie, Boutwell is unsure. However, he said he enjoys his simplistic lifestyle. People in the 26-34-age range can be burnt out from life and even envy Boutwell’s lifestyle with no mortgage or obligations, he said.
“Everybody comes down here and is like, ‘Oh man, this is so cool. I wish I could be doing what you’re doing,’” he said. “But, like anything else, a vacation can get old, and there’s downsides to it of course.”
The Soup Kitchen and Civic Center canned goods have been useful, Boutwell said. The Soup Kitchen serves one hot meal a day, no questions asked, Emily Madden, Soup Kitchen executive director, said.
Madden said that she, like most of the Laramie community, was shocked to find out the number of homeless people in the region.
“I think there is a lot of invisible poverty in Laramie. I think we really just don’t see it. Especially with those affiliated with the University, they are kind of isolated from the larger poverty issue,” Madden said.
She noted Albany County has the highest poverty rate in the state, at 26 percent, with Wyoming at 11 percent and the country at 15 percent. One possible reason is Albany County does not have the mineral resources or energy production other counties have in Wyoming, she said.
As of now, the county is striving to address the recently discovered homeless population. There is a Homeless Task Force that meets every third Tuesday at noon in the Albany County Public Library.
The task force is working on a statewide, 10-year plan to end homelessness. Heimer said, although he does not think homelessness will ever be nonexistent, there are needs that can be addressed to improve the situation.
Madden noted the Laramie community is generous and will most likely be on board to helping the homeless. The next survey is set for Jan. 28, 2015.
“I love this town,” Boutwell said. “It’s like a city that’s not what we call burnt out – like too many people where nobody gives a f*** about anybody else. But it’s not too small that it’s all conservative. It’s kind of got this in between thing. I think the college really balances it out.”
