Around 172,000 people are homeless in California, accounting for 30% of the country’s total despite the state representing only 12% of the US population. The main causes of this social crisis are a lack of affordable housing, mental health problems and drug use. This human distress is prevalent these days, but it is far from trivial. Homeless people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and floods, which can be deadly due to their lack of access to shelter, clean water and healthcare. When I was in the town of El Centro, I met some homeless individuals and captured a few moments of their daily lives on the edge of Interstate 8 and the Sonoran Desert.