Homeless in Montgomery County

Although the wealthy Washington suburb has prided itself on its social services, chronic homelessness has ballooned in recent years as the country struggles with its budget.

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Phillip Jerome Thompson is a homeless man who says he has been looking for housing but has had no luck. He stays in a parking garage near a major hotel in downtown Bethesda.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Cal Walker is a homeless Vietnam veteran who once had a nice home. These days he often sleeps between newspaper boxes in the bus arrival area at the Bethesda Metro station. The hard-core homeless in Bethesda remain mostly in the shadows, largely steering clear of major thoroughfares and shelters.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Cal Walker, left, a homeless Vietnam veteran, offers a cigarette to a fellow homeless man named Roscoe in Bethesda.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Michelle E. says she likes to sleep sheltered behind cardboard and near the warmth that comes from a pedestrian tunnel at the Bethesda Metro station.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Phillip Jerome Thompson, who is homeless, stays in a parking garage near a major hotel in downtown Bethesda. He stirs a lot while sleeping because of all the noise.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Cal Walker, a homeless Vietnam veteran, walks the streets of Bethesda en route to an all-night diner where he will get a cup of coffee.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Cal Walker sips coffee at a diner near the Bethesda Metro station where he sometimes sleeps.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

A homeless person with luggage sleeps in the doorway of a building on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Anna Lee, who grew up in the area and is now homeless, fears for her safety in the bus arrival area at the Metro stop in Bethesda.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Anna Lee says she can't use the nearby library in Bethesda anymore because she was caught sleeping there.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

A daily commuter passes Cal Walker as he holds a cup of coffee he got at a fast-food restaurant in Bethesda.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

A homeless woman who's known to keep to herself sleeps every night near the bike lockers in the bus area at the Metro stop in Bethesda.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

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