Musician and handyman Paul Jacobsen is one of the thousands who live on L.A.’s streets among the studios and soundstages of the entertainment industry.
Jacobsen, a 66-year-old musician who once played with B.B. King, still plays his harmonica on the streets of L.A.’s Echo Park neighborhood.
One of the homeless encampments located near Echo Park Methodist Church.
“I’ve got this spot,” Jacobsen said, nodding toward his tent. “I don’t bother anyone and I try to make sure people aren’t bothered.”
Local churches like Echo Park United Methodist Church work with aid organizations like SELAH and Urban Alchemy to provide mobile showers and other resources for the homeless.
“It takes a very long time to be at peace with yourself,” Jacobsen said with a small but peaceful smile.
“We get so busy with stuff but we never sit down and ask ourselves, are we happy?” he said. “Happy with who we are? Happy with what we are doing in this world?”
Read the full feature “Hollywood’s Homeless Crisis: Meet a Musician Who Played With BB King, Now Living on the Streets”
