Sam is the mom of her tent city

Sam is 41, living in a tent city in Somersworth and has been around the Seacoast a long time. She shares an inside look at her life in the woods, how she got there, her fears about winter and how she copes.  

Homeless on the Seacoast special report

Reporter Kyle Stucker and photojournalist Deb Cram discuss the people they met who are living in the woods, in vehicles and in shelters. They also talk about what they've learned about the issue of homelessness in the area over the last several months and how you can help. Stucker and Cram set the …

Leonard family of 7 trying to regain a home

Jonathan and Stacey Leonard have been living in a van with five kids and spending time during the day at a Rochester shelter. They've lived through an eviction and are trying to overcome an expensive housing market and challenges presented by Jonathan's criminal record.  

Abbie Jepson's confessions of a teenage addict couch surfer

Abbie Jepson, 18, was a homeless couch surfer as a high school student and soccer player because it was the easiest way to continue using without her parents' interference. She's now a peer leader in the Live Free Recovery teen program in Rochester, and she shares how she managed to sneak around fo…

Earl Lee Shaffer on economics of being homeless

Earl Lee Shaffer, an isolationist tenter in Rochester, has trouble finding work in part because of his criminal record and being on probation. He breaks down how far money goes day to day, week to week, when he's fortunate enough to find work, which is usually only for a day or two at a time.

Tom Churchwell calls woods "paradise for a drunk"

Tom Churchwell, a homeless camper in Dover who is a native of Portsmouth, says people living in the woods are looking to avoid responsibility. "I'm a little different," he adds.  

Gary Storms built a home, parked it at Walmart

Gary Storms, a Dover school paraeducator, was once homeless and built a tiny home atop his truck. He believes he can help more people do the same.  

Nicole Van Coppenolle, her baby move on from life in a tent

Nicole Van Coppenolle, who is 24 years old and legally blind, "can't believe it's real" that she and her 1-year-old son, Aiden, have an apartment through the Rochester Housing Authority.