Balboa Park is known as the “People’s Park”, welcoming to all including the homeless community. People become homeless due to a host of unforeseen circumstances and they should not be stereotyped as lazy or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Other conditions such as mental illness can lead to homelessness due to unstable financial status especially with high cost of housing in city of San Diego. \u00a0The park is one of the last public places that welcomes homeless individuals.<\/p>\n
During the Field Trip at Balboa Park my teammate and I, encountered two people who we think identify as homeless middle-aged White males. The first encounter was originally on the sidewalk near El Pardo and then transitioned to the courtyard outside\u00a0of El Prado restaurant. The male was wearing a grey oversized hoodie, with khaki pants, closed dark grey tennis shoes, and\u00a0appeared\u00a0to have some sort or mental illness as he was wondering and looking for items to fidget with in his hands. He eventually came across a trashcan and searched until he found a coffee cup to either fidget with or consume the leftover coffee.<\/p>\n