They may not have much, but they’ve got each other. Courtney and Britton are homeless in New York City.
Brut filmmaker Léo Hamelin follows their journey.
Brut filmmaker Léo Hamelin follows their journey.
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00:00I'm with my boyfriend and our lovely bed for the night.
00:03This is our shelter.
00:04And it is pouring rain, as you see, in New York City today.
00:09There's a bunch of different types of homelessness.
00:13I've experienced every end of the spectrum,
00:15every part of homelessness, every type of homelessness.
00:19We were not prepared at all.
00:21This is the last time I'm going to make a video
00:23answering this comment.
00:25I had a job.
00:25He had a job.
00:27We lost both of our incomes at once.
00:29And that's when we started sleeping in parks.
00:31And I was like, OK, we need to get off the streets.
00:34In recent years, homelessness in New York City
00:36has been at its highest rate since the Great Depression.
00:39For Brut, I met with Courtney and her husband, Britton.
00:42They're a homeless couple who has been documenting
00:45their journey in New York City.
00:52You caught us.
00:52We're totally faking being homeless.
00:56We're definitely not actually sleeping in a park
01:00right now with all of our belongings.
01:03All I ask for is compassion and a little bit
01:05of understanding or love.
01:07Just treat me like a normal human being.
01:09That's all we really want.
01:10Don't kick us when we're already down.
01:12Like, I'm sleeping in a park here, dude.
01:15There's no need to be rude to me on TikTok, too.
01:22I'm using my TikTok to kind of raise awareness
01:25about the realities of homelessness and addiction
01:28and the recovery, like the real life recovery behind it.
01:32I want to humanize homeless people.
01:34We slept here for like two nights.
01:36And I was kind of half asleep laying there.
01:39And this guy comes walking down.
01:41And I had been kind of tuning everybody walking out.
01:45But he said something to her.
01:46And I immediately jumped up.
01:48And he was like, whoa, whoa, wait.
01:50Are you guys a couple?
01:51And I was like, what?
01:52What do you want?
01:53And he just kept talking.
01:55And I was like, what do you want?
01:56And eventually, he just walked away.
01:57Like, I think he was going to come up
01:59and try to attack Courtney.
02:00He saw just a girl sitting here, thought she was by herself,
02:04and saw an opportunity to attack her.
02:08I think that's what he was going to do.
02:10You know, he looked scared when you sat up.
02:12That's why I got, that's why I was so scared.
02:14And I wouldn't let her sleep on the street without me.
02:19Just because of stuff like that can happen every day, you know?
02:25Cool.
02:46I actually remember the first night you guys came in.
02:49Like, you guys were a mess that night.
02:51I was crying.
02:52You were crying.
02:53I hate crying.
02:54And then, like, the next day, Courtney was like,
02:56I want to get married.
02:57I was like, what do you mean?
03:00Because you need to get a domestic partnership
03:02to get into a couple's shelter.
03:03And we weren't leaving each other.
03:05Like, we were not going anywhere without each other.
03:07I wasn't going to let her go into a shelter by herself.
03:10It's what we needed to do to get off the street.
03:14So we just did it.
03:16But, yeah, years ago, I mean, when we first met,
03:19we were talking about getting married.
03:21So it wasn't even a big deal.
03:23We were like, yeah, OK, let's do it.
03:24It was funny, though, because, like, everyone
03:25in the courthouse was there getting married.
03:28And the girls were all wearing, you know, like, beautiful
03:30dresses.
03:31They hired photographers and things.
03:33And we were there with our bags from the street.
03:37I was in, like, pajamas, yeah, and on sweatpants.
03:40We hadn't showered in, like, five days
03:42because we were still living on the street.
03:44And we were like, all right, we're here to get married.
03:48We stood out really fast.
03:52So update, we got denied for permanent housing.
03:55We were denied from permanent housing again.
03:58I woke up to this on our door.
04:00And if you don't know what it is,
04:02it's the paperwork that we got denied
04:03for housing for, like, the third or fourth time at this point.
04:07So not really surprised because we didn't have the paperwork
04:09that we needed for it.
04:11I still need, like, a Social Security card and a birth
04:13certificate.
04:14And, like, we need proof of every residence
04:17we've stayed at for the past year.
04:19They need to basically confirm or get proof
04:22that we were street homeless, like, where we were sleeping
04:25and where we were eating.
04:27We just want to get permanent housing so we can get stable
04:30and get jobs and get back on our feet
04:31and get out of the system.
04:33And they're making it nearly impossible at this point.
04:41Nobody ever stops to think what happened in somebody's life
04:44to lead them to this point where this
04:46is the only option they have.
04:51I was a smart kid.
04:52I was reading before I was in kindergarten
04:54and I was top of my class.
04:56I have a bachelor's degree.
04:57You know, I didn't wake up and say, I want to be a junkie.
04:59I want to be homeless.
05:02I was about 15 years old.
05:04And my house caught on fire.
05:07I ended up losing both of my little sisters.
05:11Everything I owned, my entire home,
05:12everything was gone overnight.
05:14So I went from being a pretty normal teenager
05:16to losing everything, my family, everything I knew.
05:20And I was technically homeless.
05:22I didn't have anywhere to live.
05:27After that, I got really bad into addiction,
05:29started off slowly.
05:30You know, it got worse and worse and worse.
05:32And like most addicts, I've had some experiences
05:36with homelessness during that.
05:41Trauma, homelessness, and substance abuse,
05:43they all go hand in hand.
05:45And it's rare to find one without the other
05:47because substance abuse and homelessness
05:49are an effect of trauma.
05:52But then trauma is also an effect of homelessness
05:55and substance abuse.
05:56So it's just a never-ending cycle.
05:59And it's really hard to break that cycle.
06:04It's really hard to get out of it.
06:05And that's what I'm trying to do really hard right now,
06:08is even though I still have some type of instability in housing,
06:11I'm in a shelter now.
06:14I know that getting sober and trying to get my life back
06:16in track and getting out of homelessness,
06:18and then eventually I'll be able to heal that trauma
06:21and to leave all this in the past and break this cycle
06:23and maybe live like a normal life, that's my goal right now.
06:26That's what I'm hoping for.
06:33My mom kicked me out.
06:34I live in New York.
06:35You feel me?
06:35I was crashed at my friend's house.
06:37But eventually, I was like, you know,
06:38this is not life for me.
06:39So I saved up a little bit of money.
06:41And I was able to rent a room.
06:43But it's just dope to let people know that,
06:45circumstantially speaking, there's a lot of different ways
06:48that can lead to homelessness.
06:49It doesn't necessarily mean you messed up in life,
06:51you know what I'm saying?
06:52So by all means, my G, you know, keep pushing on.
06:55And I wish y'all nothing but the best.
06:56You feel me?
06:56God bless you.
07:00It's not as simple as just get a job and get an apartment.
07:03If it was, the homeless crisis would be solved in America
07:06by now.
07:07This is the last time I'm going to make a video answering
07:10this comment, because I get it nonstop all day.
07:13You need shelter to get a job.
07:15You cannot get a job unless you have a place to live,
07:18like a shower, clothing, all of those.
07:20They're required to work most jobs.
07:23So obviously, right now, I'm in the process of getting a job.
07:26And I apply places every day.
07:27So hopefully, I'll be working soon.
07:30So have you not heard of the housing crisis going on
07:33in America right now?
07:35Basically, a bunch of guys saying
07:36they don't understand why I can't just
07:39go move in with a guy, or why I can't just
07:42go walk on the street and find a guy who's
07:44willing to provide for me.
07:47That is the most dangerous thing I've ever heard.
07:51She's fucking married.
07:53All of the meetings for HRA to get into a shelter
07:56are over the phone.
07:57If you don't have a phone, you cannot stay in a shelter.
08:00Job applications and calling for a job,
08:02how am I going to get one without a phone?
08:04Also, there are free government phone programs
08:06where they actually give out smartphones
08:07to people who cannot afford one and pay the data plan.
08:12I don't know why you guys think just because I'm homeless,
08:15I am not allowed to have absolutely any belongings.
08:20I'm going to sell my phone for $80 and buy a house with it.
08:29All the people commenting hate on my videos,
08:31they never think it could happen to them either.
08:35Use this app to find outlets.
08:38We're going to go to this one right now.
08:40There's a bathroom there, too.
08:41So this was a good one.
08:45They try to make it seem like we did something wrong
08:48or we deserve to be homeless,
08:50because if they think that way,
08:51they think that it can't happen to them
08:53because they don't deserve it,
08:54and that's their way of feeling safe.
09:08In the past few years, I've definitely struggled
09:11with opiates more than anything else.
09:13I was really into benzos.
09:15I was really into Xanax, Klonopin, all of that,
09:18and it eventually progressed into heroin and fentanyl
09:21and all of that, and now that I'm sober,
09:24this is why I'm on methadone.
09:25It's mostly for opiates.
09:28Yeah.
09:30Do I have to call anyone?
09:32Methadone works against cravings and the sickness symptoms
09:37and the withdrawals and everything.
09:38That's why it's really beneficial.
09:40It's really hard to stay sober.
09:42It's hard enough to stay sober in early recovery,
09:44no matter what,
09:45so struggling with housing instability
09:48makes it even harder.
09:49I want to make it through these first few months
09:51and feel back on my feet, you know,
09:53like be working a job, have a routine,
09:56be more secure in housing,
09:57and then I'll feel more ready to taper off of the methadone
10:00and get back to a more normal life.
10:02Right now, I think I'm not ready yet.
10:06But this is my new bottle,
10:10and it's filled with orange shellfish juice.
10:13The old methadone used to be orange,
10:15but the new ones that we get are white,
10:17and they just fill it with orange juice,
10:18so it tastes better.
10:21You usually take it here or back at the shelter?
10:23No, I take it tomorrow.
10:25So I just drink mine for the day.
10:27You have to do it in front of them,
10:29and then they give you this for tomorrow,
10:32and, yeah, if you sell it or drink it,
10:33you don't have anything for the next day,
10:35so that's why most people choose to keep it
10:37because otherwise you can get sick.
10:40I choose to keep mine.
10:44So we just got the phone call,
10:45and we got approved for long-term housing.
10:50Well, a long-term shelter.
10:51It's not actual housing.
10:53And I'm nervous because we're going
10:55to a completely different community,
10:57completely different area.
10:58I have no idea what it's going to be like,
11:00so just everybody hope it's good for me.
11:02Everybody pray for me that it's going to be all right.
11:05I'm super nervous. I'm super excited,
11:07and I'm kind of sad all at the same time.
11:08I have just a lot of mixed feelings,
11:09but I am really grateful that we got approved,
11:11and I was really excited to tell everyone,
11:12so there's some good news.
11:20Hey, Brent, they want a story time of how we met.
11:22About 2 1⁄2 years ago, I went to rehab for my addiction,
11:27and I met him in there.
11:31We were literally obsessed with each other
11:34after the first day we met.
11:35Like, everybody joked around, like,
11:37oh, rehab romance, rehab romance.
11:39Like, don't get in a relationship this early in recovery.
11:42But we were obsessed with each other
11:43since the second we met.
11:47We ended up both getting kicked out of the program.
11:49Literally right before I finished, it was a 28-day program.
11:52I got kicked out around day 25 or 26
11:55for poking his belly button.
11:58No fraternizing at all was allowed.
12:01It's candid.
12:06He's been there for me through everything.
12:08Like, I've had some rough times over the past two years,
12:12and he's been my major support system.
12:14He's wanted me to get clean.
12:16He tells me how much potential I have.
12:18He helps me a lot through everything,
12:20and he's been there for me through it all.
12:22He's been there for me through it all.
12:25He's been there for me through it all.
12:27He's been there for me through it all.
12:29He helps me a lot through everything,
12:30and I have one person who's always there for me
12:33through no matter what I'm going through,
12:35and I know he won't judge me.
12:37And it's funny, because two and a half years later,
12:41and everybody was like, oh, rehab romance,
12:44and we're married and living together
12:46and haven't left each other's side since.
12:47So maybe we got something right there, I don't know.
12:51I am ready to announce my big news.
12:53I have a big interview coming up
12:55for a job that I really, really want.
12:58It's next week.
12:59It's something in my field,
13:01something that I'm very passionate about.
13:02So I'd appreciate if everybody could wish me luck for that.
13:05Okay, I think the interview went well.
13:07I'm not good at reading social situations,
13:10but she did write down my phone number
13:12and wrote down all my answers to my questions and everything
13:14and then told me that there is going to be someone
13:17calling me back who does second interviews.
13:19So pay attention to my phone
13:21and check to make sure my number was right.
13:23So is that a good sign?
13:24I think that's a good sign.
13:25I don't know.
13:26You guys tell me if that's a good sign.
13:28She seemed to really like me.
13:29Like we had a good conversation.
13:31I don't know if I talk too much.
13:34Because I really want them to hire me so bad.
13:42Because like if I'm going to get a salary job,
13:46I want it to be there.
13:50Just like explaining how to use Narcan
13:53and giving out kits and giving food to homeless people.
14:05Did you make the rice?
14:06No, I didn't make it.
14:07Oh, it looks so good.
14:18I'm eating so fast because it's so good.
14:23The only other thing we ate today was
14:26when we got the 75 cent pecan roll thing
14:30from the bodega for breakfast and coffee.
14:34I told you it's so good.
14:35That's why I was shoveling it in my face.
14:38We still don't have like a stove or a fridge
14:40at the new shelter.
14:41So you can't really cook, you know,
14:42like a nice home cooked meal.
14:44So still to this day, like when we come here,
14:47that's the only time we get like a real nice meal.
14:49But their food is so good.
14:56I just talked to them this morning
14:58and I have a second interview.
15:00It's good news.
15:01I'm just nervous.
15:03I have to find a good outfit to wear
15:05because I don't have any like professional clothes.
15:10I've been through a lot in my life
15:11that other people would be shocked to hear about
15:14and I don't even like to talk about it
15:16because I also feel like homeless people shouldn't
15:18have to have this sob story to make you feel
15:20like they deserve housing.
15:22We're all human beings and we've all been through shit
15:24and we still deserve things like basic rights
15:26and housing and respect and food
15:28and the chance to live a normal life.
15:32When we were walking around here
15:33and I had like all of my blankets
15:35and we obviously looked dirty,
15:37like my hair was unkempt
15:38and I was just in like a big t-shirt
15:40and everybody would be staring at us.
15:42Like now like walking through it,
15:44you know, nobody looks at you
15:45and it's just weird because like I'm still homeless.
15:48I just cleaned up better, that's all.
15:56My days are definitely still difficult.
16:00I'm still worried that I'm not going to get hired
16:02or I'm not going to get a job
16:04and I'm not going to be able to get any type of income.
16:08There's so many things that could happen.
16:10Tomorrow I could wake up and they could say,
16:12hey, you can't be in the shelter anymore.
16:13You're back on the street.
16:16I'm not very in control of my life right now
16:19and that's scary,
16:20but I know it's something that I have to go through
16:22if I eventually want to get out of it.
16:24So I'm just hoping for the best.
16:36I filmed with Kourtney in Britain
16:38about a couple of weeks ago.
16:39Since then, they are still in a couple's shelter in the Bronx.
16:43She's still waiting to hear back on her job application
16:46and she celebrated three months of sobriety.