Jose Lopez Interview
José Lopez
Noé Montes
What is your name, your age, and where are you from?
José Lopez
I am José Lopez. I'm thirty-eight years old. I am Salvadoran.
Noé Montes
How long have you been in the US? Why did you move to the US?
José Lopez
Since 1994. I came with a dream. I accomplished my dream. But unfortunately, because of drugs and excess and all that, everything got ruined. Around 2005, I got very seriously lost to drugs.
Noé Montes
Did you come by yourself or with family?
José Lopez
I came with family, but unfortunately, the family was not what I expected. I lived in El Monte, California.
Noé Montes
What is your housing situation right now?
José Lopez
Right now, I am in permanent housing. It's like a little studio. Here in Skid Row.
Noé Montes
Before that, how long had you been unhoused?
José Lopez
Before that, I had been living on the street for about five years.
Noé Montes
You say you ended up living on the street because of your drug use. Were you working at that time?
José Lopez
I had a good job. I lived in Salt Lake City, Utah. I used to travel to Las Vegas to work in a casino. I worked in construction. I even stopped using drugs for about a year and a half, but then I started using again. Now I have been sober for almost two years.
Noé Montes
How did you first come to Skid Row if you were living somewhere else and you had a job?
José Lopez
I first came to Skid Row around 1999. My mom had a business in the Alleys [in downtown Los Angeles’ fashion district] and I used to come here and I met a lot of people. Some are still alive, and some have passed on to a better life. I saw everything here was different and I had curiosity. I started with smoking marijuana and then I stayed. Then later I said, “I need to make a change.” That’s what I was thinking and that’s when I moved to Salt Lake City. In 2009, that’s when I left to Salt Lake City. I came back to Los Angeles around 2018.
Noé Montes
When you were living in Salt Lake City, were you clean?
José Lopez
When I first got there, I was clean, then I used but not as much as when I was here.
Since I got out of the hospital, now I have been clean for about two years. I haven’t used crystal for about three years, and I haven’t used alcohol in about two years.
Noé Montes
You were on the street in Skid Row for about five years. Did you sleep on the streets here and there?
José Lopez
Yes, everywhere. In fact, Maria [from Housing for Health] used to find me on the street on Crocker. They used to come visit me there. Also, here at the park on Gladys and Sixth St. Glenda, Lexi, Maria, and all them [homeless service providers staff] gave me a lot of support.
Noé Montes
How was living on the street here? Did you feel danger?
José Lopez
Oh yes. I’ve been beaten twice. I had two puppies stolen from me. Someone tried to set my tent on fire when I was in there with my dogs. I don’t know why, but anyway, thank God that I am still alive. I am thankful to God because he gives me one more day of life. I may not be rich, but I have at least one more day to see the light because there are many that don’t have that anymore.
Noé Montes
How did you pass the days here?
José Lopez
I used to prostitute myself, brother. Anything and everything to get money for drugs. But I have changed my life.
Noé Montes
What about your necessities, water and things like that?
José Lopez
Those things, food, basically are given to you here. But if you are dependent on drugs, you have to do anything you need to. People don’t talk about this, but when you are a drug addict, you do many things that you wouldn’t if you were sober. It pushes you to do things that you don’t want to do but because you need the drugs, you have to do them.
Noé Montes
But there is help here? There are social services that helped you get better?
José Lopez
Yes. I am not complaining. Thanks to God. God has put me in a place right now that I am with my four dogs. I had five but I just gifted one to a friend.
Noé Montes
Have you always had dogs?
José Lopez
This is my story. After I left Los Angeles around 2009, around 2010, I got a cockapoodle. I had to put her to sleep. Then I got this white dog right here. It was the second dog I had. And little by little, I loved the dog more and more. People were getting to know me, and I was slowly trying to stop using drugs, but it was hard. The people around you, in the moment you are not forced to do drugs, but the drugs are around you and you are tempted. You are thinking that you are going to relapse, that you are going to relapse, and then you do.
Noé Montes
Now you have been sober for some time, some years.
José Lopez
Yes, thank God. Two years and three years without using.
Noé Montes
And you are still here and there is temptation. Is it easier for you now?
José Lopez
Yes. What happened was that around the time when Maria [from Housing for Health] and them used to come see me, my body had started retaining fluids. My body was swollen, I couldn’t walk, they hooked me up to a machine. Three people had to help me to get up. My weight was up to about 400 pounds. I was retaining fluid in all parts of my body.
Noé Montes
Did you know why that was happening?
José Lopez
I didn’t know. I was picked up by an ambulance and I was in the hospital for about five months. I found out I had chronic cirrhosis, pre-diabetes. I found out I had hepatitis, which has now been controlled. I found out I had cancer in my pancreas, liver, and kidney. My left kidney is 70% not functioning.
Noé Montes
So you were here living on the street, you got very sick and went to the hospital, and that’s when you found out about all these conditions.
José Lopez
When I got out of the hospital, that’s when Maria found a place for me to stay. On Third and Figueroa at the LA Grand Hotel. After about seven months, they brought me to the place here that I am in now. She’s a very good person.
Noé Montes
So you have had housing for about ten months?
José Lopez
Yes, inside for about ten months.
Noé Montes
How was the system, the program, to get you housing? Was it hard to navigate? Did you get a lot of help from Maria?
José Lopez
It was hard. Because of my little animals. I applied to about seven places, but I didn’t qualify because they did not accept pets. I was rejected from many places. Except this one where I am. I don’t like the area it’s in, but I don’t have another option. At least I have a roof over my head.
Noé Montes
How is the place you are living? You said it was a studio. Is it small?
José Lopez
It’s so-so. I have a small room, a bathroom, and a little kitchen. But at least I have a roof for them [my dogs]. I don’t know how long I will be there because right now the laws are changing, I don’t know. God will tell.
Noé Montes
What do you mean that the laws are changing? What is happening?
José Lopez
When I first got there, about three of four months ago, Black people were cool but now there is racism. The other day I heard a comment about another Latino saying, “Mexicans are invading here.” Three other Latinos have been beaten. One had his glasses broken, someone hit the other one’s dog, and the other was hit on the head with a bottle.
Noé Montes
So there is violence between racial groups in the building where you live?
José Lopez
Yes, right there. But that’s how it is. What am I gonna do? I have to leave.
Noé Montes
What about your medical condition? How are you doing with that?
José Lopez
I go to appointments twice a month. I have my next appointment next Friday [CD1] for chemotherapy, for radiation.
Noé Montes
Did you already finish chemotherapy or is that happening now?
José Lopez
No, that’s what I am doing right now. I am in chemotherapy.
Noé Montes
And you are still out here? You don’t feel too weak?
José Lopez
Well, I’m here. In fact, look, one of my legs is getting swollen. I am starting to retain fluid. But I’m here. They also found I had fluid in my lungs. I also had severe anemia. My skin was changing color.
Noé Montes
What about looking ahead? What are you thinking?
José Lopez
Looking ahead, only God knows. They say one can make plans but God decides. I am also losing my sight. If you look at my eyes, you can see the cataracts. But they give me strength, my dogs give me strength.
Noé Montes
What did you say their names were?
José Lopez
The black one is named Oreo Cookie, the female dog is named Luna, and the other one is named Toby. And the mom is named Molly.
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Interview has been translated from Spanish. Transcript has been edited for clarity.