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SALT LAKE CITY — While more than 700 people packed a public meeting in Draper Wednesday to loudly protest the idea of a homeless resource center in their city, one man took the stage to plead for understanding for people facing homelessness.
He was booed off the stage.
On Thursday, Lawrence — who declined to give his last name out of fear he would be kicked out of the commercial lot in Salt Lake County where he lives in a shipping trailer he owns — continued his effort to give a voice for people struggling to make ends meet.
"Let me explain something: We don't want to be in your backyard."
He has spent time living in a shelter, which is why he wanted to attend the Wednesday open house, where Draper Mayor Troy Walker and Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams listened to angry residents for four hours before Walker rescinded an offer to consider his city for the homeless center.
Lawrence says he's not a poster child for the homeless, but he understands the plight of many that are, and he says somebody has to speak up. His place has all the comfort of home compressed within the narrow space of a semitrailer.
"I have a toaster oven. I have a fridge, I have a microwave. I have my TV and my Blu-ray player, and I have discs. This is where I live," he said. "It's cold in the winter, and it's hot in the summer, and I keep my cats cooled off in the summer with this air conditioner. This is just a means to an end, and in my case, the end is just having my own space."
It's a space he currently affords through Social Security checks and part-time work. Lawrence asked that the location where he lives not be revealed.
"This is the middle stage, and most guys don't get this far," he said.
He's trying, which is why he found Wednesday night's meeting in Draper infuriating. After being interrupted multiple times by shouts and boos, Lawrence threw up his hands and walked off stage.
"They need to recognize that we're normal people just like they are, that we're trying to get on our feet," Lawrence said.
He said smaller, spread-out resource centers will help do that.
"Let me explain something: We don't want to be in your backyard," he said, adding that homeless shouldn't be cast aside, either.
Lawrence dreams of a brighter future in his second trailer, a space he can truly call home.
"I want to put a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, a living room in there. I want it self-contained with its own fresh water tank and its own receiving tank."
He added: "This is my fail-safe. This is my backup, and right now, it's my only plan."
Lawrence has goals. He says he'd like to be a full-time trucker, and maybe someday start up his own trucking company. For now, he's trying to figure out how he can somehow save up to do that.
Contributing: Viviane Vo-Duc
