Amid booming economy homelessness soars on US West Coast
Ellen Tara James-Penney
Ellen Tara James-Penney  a lecturer at San Jose State University   has been sleeping out of a car for about a decade  ever since  she  lost  her  housing while an undergraduate at the school where  she  now teaches four English courses  a job that pays $28 000 a year. Home is an old Volvo.
"I've basically been homeless since 2007  and I'm really tired "  she  said. "Really tired."
 She  actually got  her  start in the high tech industry  before being laid off during the tech meltdown of the early 2000s. Like many who couldn't find work   she  went to college  accumulating tens of thousands of dollars in student debt along the way.
Now 54   she  grades papers and prepares lesson plans in  her  car. Among  her  few belongings is a pair of  her  grandmother's fancy stiletto pumps  a reminder to  herself  that "it's not going to be like this forever."
For Seattle resident Elisabeth James  the reality check came when a homeless man forced his way into a glass-enclosed ATM lobby with her after she swiped her card to open the door for after-hours access. After a few nerve-wracking minutes  the man left the lobby but stayed outside  banging on the glass. Police were too busy to respond so  James  called  her  husband  who scared the man away and walked  her  home. The man   she  believes  just wanted to get out of the rain.
A neighborhood pocket park has become a flashpoint  too: When  James  took  her  2-year-old grandchild there   she  saw people injecting heroin.
[TGT] has been sleeping out of a car for about a decade  ever since   [TGT]   lost   [TGT]   housing while an undergraduate at the school where   [TGT]   now teaches four English courses  a job that pays $28 000 a year. Home is an old Volvo.
"I've basically been homeless since 2007  and I'm really tired "  she  said. "Really tired."
  [TGT]   actually got   [TGT]   start in the high tech industry  before being laid off during the tech meltdown of the early 2000s. Like many who couldn't find work    [TGT]   went to college  accumulating tens of thousands of dollars in student debt along the way.
Now 54    [TGT]   grades papers and prepares lesson plans in   [TGT]   car. Among   [TGT]   few belongings is a pair of   [TGT]   grandmother's fancy stiletto pumps  a reminder to   [TGT]   that "it's not going to be like this forever."
For Seattle resident Elisabeth James  the reality check came when a homeless man forced his way into a glass-enclosed ATM lobby with her after she swiped her card to open the door for after-hours access. After a few nerve-wracking minutes  the man left the lobby but stayed outside  banging on the glass. Police were too busy to respond so  James  called  her  husband  who scared the man away and walked  her  home. The man   she  believes  just wanted to get out of the rain.
A neighborhood pocket park has become a flashpoint  too: When  James  took  her  2-year-old grandchild there   she  saw people injecting heroin.