In Search of a Place to Park Himself (homeless with a disability)

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In Search of a Place to Park Himself
Pr. George's Man Has Scores of Model Cars but Nowhere to Call Home

By Mary Otto
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 3, 2003; Page B01

James Mode woke up in his snug apartment in Hyattsville yesterday morning, surrounded by his beloved model cars. Stacked in their clear plastic boxes, they lined every available shelf and wall, scores of Fords and Chevrolets, wagons and sedans, trucks and race cars.

Then the sheriff's deputies arrived with their eviction notice, and the movers arrived and began loading Mode's life into black plastic garbage bags. Yvette Lewis, the building manager, stood in the hall with her arms crossed over her chest, looking stern and worried at the same time.

Since he was laid off from his job as a helper at D.C. General Hospital two years ago, Mode, who is learning-disabled, has survived on landscaping jobs and help from his church. But he fell seriously behind on his rent.

"I'm doing the best I can. I'm sorry," he said to Lewis.

Last year, 52,973 homeless people were provided with shelter in Maryland, up almost 17 percent from 2001, according to the state Department of Human Resources....There are more than 3.5 million homeless people in the country, according to the Urban Institute.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29731-2003Dec2.html