TEX
NICKELVILLE INTERVIEWS
by Tom Hastings � 2008
Tex Shirey is 38 years old, white, and wears a blond full beard. Tex speaks in a great Texas drawl.
TEX
I�m 38 years old, a high school graduate. I�m from a small town called Shamrock Texas. I lost everything in a house fire two years ago. I�m on social security and don�t make enough for low-income housing. I�ve been homeless two years now. I work off and on, whatever I can get.
I stayed in all the downtown shelters, Union Gospel Mission, Bread of Life, DESC. They treat you like a prisoner�. I camped out in the bush for a while. Lived in the Jungle under Highway 5. I camped in doorways, alleys, sidewalks, sidestreets, garages, churches, you�d be surprised some places I�ve slept.
I was with Nickelsville from its beginning. Eight months ago I helped plan it. There is no choice for us right now. All the indoor shelters are full. THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH SHELTER BEDS. Mayor Nickels cut shelter funds, cut food bank funds, cut low-income funds, so all those people just barely making it are going to wind up homeless�.
We need more donations, clothes, blankets, tarps, sleeping bags, food, water, everything. People should call or visit Nickelsvilleseattle.org. Nickelsville and tent cities are NOT a long-term solution. WE NEED TO LIVE INDOORS.
Communal housing, group houses renting rooms, that could be a solution. Sure I�d LOVE to have a room as big as my tent! Yeah I�d love to live indoors!
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