Joe Comfort (New Haven)

Joe Comfort is a homeless man living in New Haven, Connecticut. He has been described as a "street legend".[1] He was featured in the Local Characters Trading Cards for New Haven, exhibited in 2005.[2] He earns money doing odd jobs including raking leaves, window washing, and repairs.[3] He has also worked for Yale fraternities, cleaning up after parties.[1]

Joe Comfort was at one point a carpenter for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and claimed to at one point be a licensed plumber. He attributes his lack of employment to potential employers' fear of having to pay workers compensation if his medical problems recur.[4] He has epilepsy and Capgras delusion.

Advocacy

Joe Comfort has spoken out at public hearings against welfare cuts in the state of Connecticut.[4] He has also spoken out against harassment of homeless people by the police.[5]

References
  1. Pat Hayden, "Cleaning House Fraternity brothers hire homeless help.", The New Journal Magazine at Yale, Vol. 40, No. 2, Oct. 2007.
  2. Local Characters Trading Cards for New Haven
  3. COLUMN: City government and business must help homeless - University Wire - HighBeam Research
  4. Hartford Plan on Welfare Is Met With Tales of Woe - New York Times
  5. "Yale Daily News - YHHAP dedicates candlelight vigil to the city's homeless". Archived from the original on 2008-10-15. Retrieved 2007-11-29.


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