Jared, 18, lives on the streets of the Financial District in San Francisco. A lot of people don’t like him to be around, but he loves the neighborhood.

“San Francisco is amazing. It’s awesome. I came from Fresno where I was homeless, my girlfriend was pregnant, and there is not a lot of opportunities. San Francisco is way better. More opportunities and more help.

You can go up to about 6th street, but past that, it’s really dangerous, all the drug heads, they are crazy, they do stupid stuff. It’s safer here at the Financial District. I don’t want anybody to mess around with my girlfriend.

The people who work here  are mostly really professional, like really smart, I think you could say intelligent. Many people here give us change or  they buy us something to eat, because a lot of people here spend the money on drugs.

In certain places you cannot sit and hold our sign, like within 15 feet of ATM or by a bank, but most places you can.

I spend my days looking at the people and the buildings. During night, when it’s all lit up, I like walking around and looking at them.

I have submitted job applications and might get a job soon and stuff like that, I might get a place. I think it will take some 3 to 6 months.”