This interview is a raw, intimate snapshot of what it means to live on the edge of survival in Denver. Three men—formerly incarcerated, recently unhoused, or struggling with addiction—speak with clarity about a system that sets people up to fail. It’s not a lack of motivation or ability holding them back. It’s the absence of infrastructure: no IDs, no clean clothes, no place to rest, no stable base from which to rebuild. One was paroled directly into homelessness. Another lives with the weight of addiction, knowing he could change if he had a reason. Another, a cancer survivor, is mentally exhausted and trying to take life “five minutes at a time.”
They aren’t asking for charity. They’re asking for something basic: a chance to start. They talk about being treated like burdens or statistics instead of human beings. And yet, they speak with self-awareness—about their potential, their failures, and what might help them finally break the cycle. The common thread isn’t just homelessness. It’s invisibility. And through their stories, they’re asking to be seen.
