(Reno, NV)- Johnny Durry, 35, is a homeless man in Reno of Washoe County, Nevada, and became homeless in May 2020 after losing his job and doesn't have access to a residential for a Nevada state ID.
Durry is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. But lived with his brother in Reno, prior to his brother being arrested in August 2023 which led to Durry becoming homeless.
"I only had a place here for probably like 2 or 3 months before I became homeless," said Durry.
Is there any family in Nevada whose address you can use, or who can help you gain ID documentation? "Nuh-uh. Cuz, uh, me and my brother, my brother's in jail right now," said Durry. When did your brother get arrested? "Uh, August of last year," said Durry. Did he provide your previous housing? "Yes, he did."
What happened to your last ID or driver's license? "My wallet got stolen. Everything was in it," said Durry. When did that happen? "Two years ago, bout three or years ago. Uh, 2021 I think," said Durry.
Where are your parents or aunts and uncles? "Umm, my parents are both deceased. And the rest of my family. All I have is siblings. Uh. My brother is out here with me. I have two sisters back in Georgia. The rest of my family? Um, they're all back in Georgia. Everybody's in Georgia," said Durry.
While having no access to a Nevada home with roof access, Durry claims he has no access to a Nevada government-issued ID due to mailing issues. "I totally need an ID out here. How you gonna get a job without an ID?," said Durry.
Durry mentioned he worked as a laborer for a private company owned by Ted Hartley, from February 2020-May 2020 in Reno.
Durry feels that he is currently not getting support from the government while homeless. And thinks that the government can do better by providing programs and advertisements to support the homeless. Do you feel that the government is supporting you while homeless? "No," Durry said. "So you know, good programs exist. I haven't heard about them, so they need to advertise it a little better."
Did you come from Georgia to Reno? "Yes, I did. It was great. Yeah," said Durry. What made you think of switching to a new state? "Um, I really don't know. Uh, there's something new. Thought it would be better out here. Yeah, it turned out to be worth it. I'm probably going to go back to Georgia soon. My brother already lived out here. So that's why I came to Reno. My brother was already here."
What street and part of Reno do you live at the most while homeless? "Yeah, I stay in the downtown area," said Durry. Is there like a place near a bus station, near a business? "Umm, much time on the tracks," said Durry.
Homeless people may be thought of as having access to things like limited food and clothing, but one thing that the homeless population may not have access to is electricity or utilities. How do you stay warm outside? "A lot of time, we uh burn hand sanitizer. It burns clean and it burn inside tents," said Durry. "Hand sanitizer will burn.
It burns clean. So you know you can have everything shut."
Living near train tracks means you're closer to trains and are more vulnerable to their noise. Even residents with roofs over them can hear trains from far away. Do trains' noise wake you up or bother you or sleep? "Yeah. Of course, it does," said Durry.
Do you receive government food stamps or any assistance? "I do get food stamps, yes," said Durry. How much ebt do homeless people receive? "Umm, we get 280 a month. But the thing is, is you can't buy perishables. You know, you can't, like, go grocery shop, like a normal person. You can't go nowhere to cook. We have to go to these gas stations and, you know, they charge way, way too much." said Durry. Perishables are food items that must be kept under a certain temperature to maintain freshness such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy products in refrigerators or meats and seafood in the freezer to prevent spoiling.
How do you stay clean for hygiene? "There's a church group down there. If you go over there near Wells, you know they're listening to me and take a shower. But it's not. It's not government-owned. It's a church group," said Durry.
What city did you graduate high school from? "Roberta, Georgia," said Durry. What is your highest level of education? "GED." What was the name of your high school? "Crawford County High School," said Durry. What year of graduation? "2007."
Are there any changes you're working on to get a home again? "The main thing I'm trying to do is get an ID," said Durry. "An Nevada ID because it's hard. I can't get a job without it."
Is there anything that's stopping you from getting an ID? "You know, getting an ID requires certain things. I still had to go into the state, I don't have my birth certificate. I can't give them an address to send it to," said Durry. Do you have a physical copy of your Social Security card? "Uh, no," said Durry.
Do drivers or pedestrians ever donate cash or anything when they see you? "Not usually. Yeah, not usually. It's been once or twice," said Durry. "I don't stand out there with a sign and ask people for money."
Police or security of any company ever bothered you while homeless? "Oh yeah, all the time, every day. I'm surprised they haven't bothered us right now," said Durry. What do they say? "Piece of shit. Drunkie. Go smoke some meth or it's just shit like that, man."
Which agency bothers you the most? Is it Reno police? "Uh, no it's probably the road. Right here, the road security," said Durry. "But it's in this general area. Anywhere between. Guys that ride on bikes out here. That's what I'm saying. I'm surprised they haven't bothered us right here. Yeah, it's probably the road security."
Do you need anything currently to support your homelessness like comforters, clothes, food? "Uh, yeah. So, uh. You know, all the homeless steal your blanket. You know all of it. Yeah. The blankets," said Durry.
In conclusion, if you ever come across a homeless person or person in need, don't hesitate to donate. In the newsroom, Robert Rincon, with Robert's Daily Report.
Photo: Johnny Durry March 11 at 5:11 pm near Circus Circus parking garage in Reno, NV. Photo Credit: Robert Rincon from Reynolds School of Journalism.
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