Homeless in Corvallis, Ore.

A Southtown homeless camp in Corvallis, Ore., beneath the off-ramp that takes traffic into downtown Corvallis from Route 34.  Their camp is situated near the river and on the backside of Avery Park. On Saturday, May 22, Karen Albrecht wakes up from a nap and speaks to her friend Darren Perreard, who lounges on the opposite mattress. 

Summer Jackson "flies" a sign outside of the downtown Corvallis Post Office on Saturday, May 22, and encounters a curious child passing with by with his mother. Summer moved to Corvallis from Port Townsend, Wash., 25 years ago, and has spent the last seven years of her life homeless. Summer hopes to attend Linn-Benton Community College in the near future to finish an associate's degree. She dropped out of the school several years ago. 

Karen Albrecht wakes from an afternoon slumber with her partner, John Phillips on Saturday, May 22, in a homeless camp just outside Avery Park in Corvallis, Ore. Karen has been homeless on and off since 1990, and has lived outside with Phillips for the last 6 years. She has attended both Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, Ore., and Oregon Coast Community College in Newport, Ore. According to Albrecht, she lost access to financial aid and was forced to drop out of school when she was put in jail for unpaid fines. 

On Saturday, May 22, Darren Perreard, hangs out with Karen Albrecht and John Phillips at their camp beneath an overpass, next to the train tracks and Avery Park in Southtown Corvallis, Ore. Perreard has been homeless on and off his whole life. 

John Phillips near his tent in Avery Park in Corvallis, Ore on Wednesday, May 25. The police regularly come by to give Phillips and Albrecht notices to leave the park, like the one he holds in his hand. Phillips and Albrecht cannot stay in the same homeless shelter as a couple, so prefer to spend their nights in a tent outside. Homeless men and women are often forced to stay in separate shelters, making life difficult for committed couples. If Phillips and Albrecht aren't quick enough to evacuate the park, they face fines and the confiscation of their gear such as sleeping bags, cooking stoves, and clothing.