Silicon Valley, one of the most expensive places to live in America, is also one of the toughest places for the homeless to survive. As the tech boom prompted property values to skyrocket, some of the city’s poorest
residents have been displaced, with limited options for affordable housing. In this Op-Doc video, Elizabeth Lo documents scenes from a bus route that has become a well-known overnight
shelter for the area’s homeless.
Line 22, which is also known as Hotel 22, runs between San Jose and Palo Alto. Ms. Lo rode the bus line for a week, capturing scenes from the line and its patrons from late evening until daybreak — when the homeless
were eventually cleared out by security officers for morning commuters.
“It was such a contrast to my image of Silicon Valley that I decided to ride the bus myself,” Ms. Lo wrote for The New York Times, adding, “And
despite mostly keeping to themselves, the sleepers sometimes came into direct conflict with late-night commuters who also ride the bus at those hours.”
This video is part of a series produced by independent filmmakers who have received support from the nonprofit Sundance Institute.
