Larance

Born in San Francisco

My name is Larance Kuntz and I’m glad to have somebody hear what I have to say. I had a car accident and became homeless. Riding the bus to stay warm at night. No money. Once I felt all that, I felt really alone. I felt hungry for everything you can mention. I felt hungry for food. I felt hungry for communication. You need everything. As I am walking the streets one night after no nutrition, walking the streets at night and drinking, I passed out at Market and 8th. I knew I was sick so I went to General Hospital. When they were going to release me, they told me, “We aren’t just going to send you back out on the streets. We are going to get you in contact with the agencies here and maybe they can help you.” They put me in touch with a counselor there and if I stayed away from alcohol and drugs, she could get me housing. Sure enough she came through and I’ve been here ever since. I’ve been in San Francisco all my life. I think about my dad when he came to the Haight/Ashbury. He wasn’t a rich man but he could afford it. Now a workingman really can’t. The house my parents bought, they owned it for 50 years, but the area started changing. I could be sitting in front of the house I was born and raised in, and officers would drive by and go, “Hey somebody over there just called the cops.” And it would be a new person who just moved in. And the cops go, “Do you live here?” And I say, “Yeah my parents bought this house 40 or 50 years ago. Why did they call the cops on me?” “Heck if I know.”