Photos: Living on the streets of Berkeley

Homeless person sleeps on Berkeley street. Photo: Ted Friedman — A homeless person sleeps on a Berkeley street on May 20. Photo: Ted Friedman

Walk down any street in Berkeley, from the shores of the Marina up to the UC Berkeley campus, and chances are good you will spot someone living on the street. Sometimes they are sleeping. Sometimes they are playing music. Sometimes they are panhandling. On occasion, they are protesting.

See full coverage on Berkeleyside of the Berkeley Homeless Project.

Berkeleyside has gathered portraits and pictures of the city’s homeless in a photo essay we hope shows a range of experiences people living on the street have.

PInk Cloud plays guitar in the Durant food court in Berkeley, on Friday, June 21, 2013. Photo: David Yee ©2013 — A homeless man named Pink Cloud plays guitar in the Durant food court in Berkeley on June 21, 2013. Photo: David Yee

A homeless person sleeps in the doorway of the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign headquarters on University Avenue, in Berkeley, on Saturday, June 4, 2016. Photo: David Yee ©2016 — A homeless person sleeps in the doorway of the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign headquarters on University Avenue on June 4. Photo: David Yee

Thomas, who most recently has been living near the Gilman underpass. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel — Thomas Barnett, who has been living near the Gilman underpass in Berkeley, makes money to live on by refurbishing and selling old bikes. Photo taken June 23. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel

In June, at the intersection of Hearst and San Pablo, a good Samaritan leaves a food offering on a shopping cart piled high with personal possessions. Photo: Denise McCarthy

A homeless person sleeps on a piece of discarded furniture on Shattuck Avenue, in Berkeley, on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Photo: David Yee ©2015 — A homeless person sleeps on a piece of discarded furniture on Shattuck Avenue on Nov. 28, 2015. Photo: David Yee

Bill Sermon, 50, lives near the Gilman undercrossing. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel — Bill Sermon, 50, lives near the Gilman underpass in Berkeley. He is a scavenger and spends much of his day going around looking for discarded items. He says Cal students toss out a lot of barely used items, which he collects and sells. Photo, taken June 23, by Frances Dinkelspiel

Myra Cole, of Berkeley, looks at a homeless encampment on the premises of old City Hall, in Berkeley, on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015. The city issued an order to the campers on Tuesday to vacate their encampment, which was set up to protest recently passed laws aimed at regulating the homeless. Photo: David Yee ©2015 — Myra Cole of Berkeley, looks at a homeless encampment in front of Old City Hall on Nov. 25, 2015. The encampment was set up to protest laws aimed at regulating the homeless. Photo: David Yee

This man, who didn't want to give his name, lives by the Gilman underpass. He makes $30 to $40 a day scavenging. He finds lots of food (people throw away a lot from Trader Joe's) as well as things like scooters, skateboards, etc. When Caltrans and Berkeley recently cleaned out the camp, he just went across the street and returned when they left, he said. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel — Bood, 37, lives by the Gilman underpass. He makes $30 to $40 a day scavenging. He finds lots of food (people throw away a lot from Trader Joe’s, he said), as well as things like scooters and skateboards. When Caltrans and Berkeley cleaned out the camp on June 16, he just went across the street and returned when they left, he said. Photo, taken in June, by Frances Dinkelspiel

By Ted Friedman — A transgender homeless woman in a wheelchair holds a sign to ask for money to buy tampons in April. Photo: Ted Friedman

On Telegraph Avenue. By Ted Friedman — A passer-by looks at people lying on the sidewalk of Telegraph Avenue on May 30. Photo: Ted Friedman

Patricia Brown looks out from her tent on the steps of old City Hall, in Berkeley, on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015. Brown is from Minnesota. The city issued an order to the homeless encampment on Tuesday to vacate the camp, which was set up to protest recently passed laws aimed at regulating the homeless. Photo: David Yee ©2015 — Patricia Brown looks out from her tent on the steps of Old City Hall on Nov. 25, 2015. Brown is from Minnesota. The camp was set up to protest laws aimed at regulating the homeless. Photo: David Yee

Hate Man, 80,l ongest and oldest Berkeley homeless man, scoring dumpster dine at World Music fest. By Ted Friedman — Hate Man, 80, probably Berkeley’s longest-running and oldest homeless man, dumpster dives at Berkeley’s World Music Festival on June 11. Photo: Ted Friedman

Pink Cloud is seen in his room at the Lakehurst Hotel, in Oakland, on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015. He has been housed here for about nine months after spending many years living on the streets. Photo: David Yee ©2015 — Pink Cloud in his room at the Lakehurst Hotel in Oakland, on Nov. 6, 2015. At the time, he had been housed for about nine months after spending many years living on the streets. Photo: David Yee

Berkeley officials talking to someone on Telegraph Avenue. By Ted Friedman — Officials try to help a person on Telegraph Avenue on April 23. Photo: Ted Friedman

Hanging on Telegraph. By Ted Friedman — Sleeping on Telegraph Avenue on April 23. Photo: Ted Friedman

Homeless people make camp in Civic Center Park as the second Bay Area Book Festival takes place around them June 4. Photo: David Yee

On Shattuck Avenue by Ted Friedman — Patrons of a café on Shattuck Avenue look out at transient people on the sidewalk on June 5. Photo: Ted Friedman

Homeless shopping cart, North Berkeley Senior Center, Oct. 24, 2015. Photo: Emilie Raguso — A shopping cart at the North Berkeley Senior Center in October 2015 holds possessions of the homeless. Photo: Emilie Raguso

Ninja Kitty being interviewed by television crews in November 2015 after video came out of a Downtown Ambassador beating up on some homeless people. Kitty said called Berkeley streets, "a war zone…and said the Ambassadors are "like the Nazi Gestapo." Photo: Ted Friedman — Ninja Kitty is interviewed by a TV crew in 2015 after video came out of a Downtown Ambassador apparently assaulting two homeless people. Kitty called Berkeley streets “a war zone.” Photo: Ted Friedman

Gilman homeless railroad encampment. Photo: Citizen reporter — The Gilman homeless encampment near the railway lines in 2014. Photo: Citizen reporter

Shattuck Avenue is one area of Berkeley where the homeless most commonly congregate. Photo: Emilie Raguso — Homeless people express themselves with signs on Shattuck Avenue in 2012. Photo: Emilie Raguso

A homeless person sleeps on the sidewalk on the 2500 block of Durant Avenue, in Berkeley, California, on Friday, December 11, 2015. Photo: David Yee ©2015 — A homeless person sleeps on the sidewalk in the 2500 block of Durant Avenue on Dec. 11, 2015. Photo: David Yee

Related:
Gilman Street underpass: For many, the poster child of Berkeley homeless camps (06.29.16)
Would a homeless mayor in Berkeley make a difference for the homeless? (06.29.16)
Homelessness in Berkeley: The fact sheet (06.29.16)
Berkeley mayoral hopefuls weigh in on homelessness (06.29.16)
Berkeley seeks to house those most in need at The Hub (06.29.16)
Berkeley homelessness: A timeline from 1982 to 2016 (06.29.16)
Homelessness in Berkeley: An overview (06.29.16)
Berkeleyside will focus on homelessness Wednesday (06.28.19)
Share your questions about homelessness in Berkeley (06.21.16)

Berkeleyside will publish stories on homelessness throughout the day Wednesday. Check back for continuing coverage. Want to share your thoughts on homelessness to help shape future coverage? Weigh in here.

See full coverage on Berkeleyside of the Berkeley Homeless Project. Read more about homelessness in Berkeley. This story is part of the Bay Area-wide initiative to document homeless issues. This endeavor, The San Francisco Homeless Project, includes 70 media organizations.

Berkeleyside staff