Richard is an electrician and computer scientist who lives in his van in the parking lot off Humphrey’s Drive. Richard was shattered by the earthquakes and has been having housing issues ever since. Four months ago Richard gave up looking for a solution and decided to make his van his own self-sufficient dwelling with solar panels on the roof, a fire inside and even a bike on the back that he built himself. It’s not as simple as it seems though. “My story is not a happy story. Yesterday I got beaten up in New Brighton. Someone wanted to brake into my van, I caught him, and he must have sent some people after me.” Richard shows me his two expired passports. He is hoping for a clean escape to Canada or Europe because things are becoming too much for him here.