For the past three years, Jacob Austin has been living on the streets. 

"I was living with my dad and he passed,” said Austin.  “After losing him, I went and fell off of work."

Austin is one of nearly 1,000 people in the City of Erie who are homeless. 

Each person has a different story. 

"I had to finish doing a state bid,” said Melvin Lucas.  “I've been homeless ever since." 

"Broke up with a girl, let her stay in the crib,” said Weaver.  “Now I'm out here on the street." 

While every day is a challenge, life in the winter is downright dangerous. 

"We have people who die every day out there,” said Austin.  “When it's cold, it's cold, and sometimes you can't get out of the cold.” 

“We ain't got nowhere else to go,” said Lucas.  “We're just stuck outside from like a quarter to 7:00 a.m. until 8 p.m."

The lack of public bathrooms throughout the city also adds to the uncomfortable conditions. 

"They need to put out some porta potties on certain blocks so people can go use them,” said Weaver.  “If they out aren’t out here, where you think they are using the bathroom at?  On your property somewhere."

Where can you turn when you have nowhere to go?  

There are a number of agencies who have made it their mission to help out those with no home. 

Since 1995, the Upper Room has served as Erie's daytime shelter, providing a warm and safe place for Erie's poor and homeless. 

Three years ago, Melvina Lancaster became temporarily homeless.  She's been coming to the Upper Room ever since. 

"If you don't know where to go, it's hard to find out where to go to keep warm." said Lancaster.  "It's always a warm comfort to know that someone else is there, that's going through the same things you are going through because it's hard." 

Dr. Cris Taylor and social worker Peggy Johnson of the Upper Room work with the homeless every day. 

"Living on the street, is a defensive strategy,” said Dr. Taylor.  “It's like being in a war, really, in a way."

They say a person's upbringing, mental health, and addiction play a major role in homelessness. 

"What these grown men and women are basically, most of them were let down by the adults who raised them,” said Johnson.  These people would like to change their lives, they don't know how."

When the sun goes down, those seeking shelter can turn to Our Neighbor's Place. 

Run by the Erie United Methodist Alliance, Our Neighbor's Place provides a spot for the homeless to sleep on winter nights.  

It's operated on a rotating basis, switching locations every two weeks. 

For the past 10 years, Pat Tracy has volunteered at the shelter.  

"It has totally changed my perspective and my stereotype of what a homeless person is,” said Tracy.  "I think there is a negative stereotype about homelessness in the community.  I think there is a fear of people who are homeless.  I have found that 99 percent of the people who are homeless are wonderful people.” 

The people who rely on Our Neighbor's Place and the Upper Room deal with these stereotypes all the time.  

"Not all homeless people are drug addicts,” said Austin.  “A lot of them are just down on their luck, and they fell into hard times."

Each day is a fight for survival.  

"I know sometimes we do stuff that we shouldn't do,” said Lucas.  “People do it just to stay alive and feel alive." 

This story is supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.