Experiences of Living in His Vehicle
For Jeff Bogue, Reno has been home ever since he grew up in a Lemmon Valley trailer park in the 1970s. Before becoming a born-again Christian at the age of 26, Bogue used to work in downtown casinos.
Just before the coronavirus shutdown, we met him at the Reno Downtown Public Library, where he was preparing paperwork and applications, looking for full-time work.
“I have been homeless, but only in a vehicle,” Bogue said. “I've never been out on the street [camping]. But I've stayed in a vehicle at times, sometimes just to save money so I know how to do it.”
Although most people may not see a vehicle as a feasible place to live in, Bogue asserts that it can be done in even the most inclement weather.
“I've stayed out when it was really freezing cold outside and high winds, and that’s some dangerous weather,” Bogue said. “But even when my truck window was broken, being in a vehicle underneath heavy blankets with a sleeping bag and a beanie cap, I was still warm.”
Bogue jokes that it could get so warm inside the vehicle that at times he would have to take his shirt off underneath all of the blankets. But that’s not to say he wasn’t reluctant to get out from underneath his warm, winter oasis.
“I did have times where the problem was that I didn't want to get up to start the vehicle because it was so cold outside,” Bogue said.
Bogue is confident in his ability to live out of his vehicle if he has to, knowing the right places to park so as not to be bothered by anyone. To him, having a vehicle when you don’t have a place to stay means everything.
“[A vehicle means] you got your safety and you've got your dryness,” Bogue said. “And [dryness] is key.”
When it comes to being safe, having a vehicle afforded him the luxury of not worrying about anyone coming up on him unexpectedly.
“They would have to break into your vehicle to even get to you,” Bogue explained. “The only thing I was worried about was cops knocking on my door.”
Safe Parking in Reno?
Bogue would like to see a safe parking program in Reno, such as has been implemented in cities in California, including Los Angeles.
“The cops shouldn't always go after the homeless that are not causing problems and just because they’re sleeping,” Bogue said. “[Sleeping] should not be a crime, in my opinion. For somebody who's extremely tired and doesn’t have a place to go, they should have a little compassion.”
Although now he’s no longer living out of his car, Bogue understands why some people prefer that lifestyle.
“There are some [homeless] who want to go and stay off the grid, which I understand,” Bogue said. “They just want to get off the grid except for a check for their disability if they even get that, but otherwise they just want to do their own thing and camp out.”
In the meantime, Bogue said he was focused on getting back his Social Security card and then a full-time job.
“I lost my social security card, so I need to get one and then I can get back to getting a regular job somewhere,” Bogue explained. “I've been offered here and there by people that I knew from the past but I haven't put my applications out yet because I got to get that social security [first]. That's one of the things I have to do.”
Until then, Bogue has been getting by on various part-time jobs and tasks.
“I look for side jobs, moving people, anything like that,” Bogue said. “I have a few regular customers I call and they hook me up with a few hours cleaning the yard, picking up dog stuff, whatever I gotta do for 15, 20, or 30 bucks.”
He uses most of the income he does acquire to help out his parents, who have been hosting him until he gets back on his feet. He no longer has the vehicle that he used to live in, but now has a van that needs work before he’s able to use it and maybe sleep in it, to regain some of his independence.
“[Staying in a vehicle] is a rich man's way [of being homeless] because when you're camping and laying down on the ground, that's dangerous,” Bogue explained.
“I’ve seen teenagers that pick on homeless guys,” Bogue said. “I had a buddy who was a very tough guy and he actually got attacked by five of them. He doesn't even smoke or drink, he just likes being out.”
In another instance when teenagers were messing with another of Bogue’s friends, who was living on the streets with his wife, they were able to get the cops involved and things turned out okay for them. But Bogue understands that that’s not always the case.
More Cheap Showers Needed, Especially During Pandemic
In addition to the locations that serve meals for the homeless, Bogue used to rely on cheap showers, but some of those places are now shut down.
“Evelyn Mount [Community Center] on Valley Rd. is a good place that gives showers out,” Bogue explained. “It's only a dollar for anybody age 50 and older. It'd be good for the homeless because the couple of showers they have at The Mission (on Record St.) from what I heard is for hundreds of people and that just doesn't work.”
Bogue wishes people understood the difficulty of getting a job when you don’t have regular access to a shower and clean clothes.
“There's some homeless that really do need help and they do want a job,” Bogue said. “But if you got dirty clothes on and you've been homeless for a while and you smell, it's hard to find a job even if you want one. So there needs to be places to help them.”
Looking ahead, Bogue hopes to be able to give back to the homeless community. “Eventually I'd like to have a place where I could help them get on their feet,” he said.
Bogue believes that one day he’ll be in a position where he can do more. It’s just a matter of time and God’s answer to his prayers, he says. He understands that not all prayers will always be answered, but he says his faith is strong because he’s seen how the power of prayer has worked before.
“I was here last week at the library and I prayed to God and said, ‘God, I need a job. I need somebody to call me,’” Bogue explained. “About an hour later, I got a call from a lady who found my paper and she hired me for picking up leaves. It was a blessing.”
“Most people have faith when they get in their vehicle and start that motor up that it's going to start,” Bogue said. “But if you don't have faith, then none of this works,” he said.