Along the Truckee River, on the Sparks side, behind a building where dogs are trained for security purposes is the informal River Rats Association.
Kenny, who says he's from New Mexico, braved this harsh winter by the Truckee river in his tent. Photo by Jacob Jacoby for Our Town Reno
Kenny, who introduced himself as El Presidente of the River Rats Association, lives in a camouflage tent and uses a smart phone to stay up to date with the weather. He says he also likes to use his phone to keep track of bird migration patterns.
Kenny's hands show some of the physical hardships of living outside. He had just finished coffee offered to him by activists who regularly help the houseless along the river and elsewhere. His friend, Kevin, was previously called "El Presidente", but he was recently hospitalized because of exposure to extreme cold. Photo by Jacob Jacoby for Our Town Reno
Jimbo, another member of the River Rats, says he has been homeless off and on for 12 years. He explained that there are three rules he lives by: don’t steal, pick up garbage, and stay out of sight.
Jimbo sometimes stays in Deb's truck. He shows one of the illustrated manifestos he's been working on. Photo by Jacob Jacoby for Our Town Reno
Staying out of sight and picking up garbage are pivotal to living outside, Jimbo explained, because any sight of settlement he says is a red flag to police officers and other security.
Jimbo has several notebooks with hundreds of pages filled with text and illustrations reflecting on inconsistencies in contemporary America. Photo by Jacob Jacoby for Our Town Reno
Jimbo says people from California recently came to live along the river as well, leaving trash and also stealing from others.
Deb lives in her truck with Filo. She says she used to work in real estate, but fell on hard times when she had to take care of her ailing mother. She wouldn't be allowed to keep Filo with her at Reno's main shelter. Photo by Jacob Jacoby for Our Town Reno
Deb says it's difficult to find affordable housing, especially with more and more down payments and paperwork being required. She often parks near the River Rats encampment area.
Melting snow, heavy rain, rising waters and new campers who came through have created more trash than usual. This is right by the current sleeping spot for the River Rats. Photo by Jacob Jacoby for Our Town Reno
Jimbo said he made sure he picked up his own trash, not to be seen as nuisance or to give police any reason to bother or evict the group. They all seemed to prefer living on their own, whether in a truck or in a tent, rather than going to the shelters.
Photos and Story by Jacob Jacoby for Our Town Reno