They, the homeless, were Tim Houchen’s friends and neighbors during his destitute years.
As he watched years ago from his humble dwelling in the sprawling homeless encampment at the foot of the Santa Ana Civic Center, he thought about the loneliness and futility of that particular brand of dying.
“You start to get the sense that the flesh and the spirit don’t die at the same time,” Houchen said. “A lot of times, these people’s spirits are gone months before their bodies pass. It’s really sad to watch, especially somebody that you care about.”
Houchen, 59, now living in an Anaheim apartment, has become an advocate for the homeless, heading the organization Hope4Restoration.
On Dec. 21, his group will hold events to commemorate the more than 200 homeless people who died this year in the county as part of the national Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, also termed the Longest Night.
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