The first thing Jonathan does when he wakes up on the street is reach for a marijuana pipe. "You see those houses on the hill?" he said, "I'm a have one of those one day."

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Jonathan, 21, gets dressed after showering at the Jeff Griffith Youth Center, a Hollywood drop-in center operated by the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. He said he had more than 20 placements between the time he was removed from his parents' home at 5 and aged out of the foster care system at 18.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Outreach specialist Juan Altamirano, left, and health educator Billy Garcia drive through Hollywood in search of homeless gay and transgender youth.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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A homeless youth walks through the clothing closet at the Jeff Griffith Youth Center, a Hollywood drop-in center operated by the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. The facility also offers meals, counseling, job hunting assistance, and training for the high school equivalency test.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Homeless youths use computers at the Jeff Griffith Youth Center, a Hollywood drop-in center operated by the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Christopher, 22, straightens up his apartment in Hollywood. Homeless for two years, he is now has a job dispensing yogurt and a home of his own.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Christopher passes time reading in between serving customers at a Pinkberry in Hollywood.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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West Hollywood — AJ, left, 23, and his boyfriend Alex, 21, share a kiss in a West Hollywood park where they sometimes sleep at night.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Los Angeles — Alex and AJ, right, relax in a park one night. They nap here until the park closes, then move into the bushes, where they won't be seen while they sleep.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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West Hollywood — Alex, left, and AJ lean against each other as an older couple passes by in a West Hollywood park. It is a favorite spot; the restrooms are open late, and there are friendly neighbors who stop to chat while walking their dogs.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Los Angeles — AJ smokes a cigarette in the shadows of a tree at a park. "If I could be invisible, I would," he said. "I feel ashamed to admit that I'm homeless."

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Los Angeles — AJ, right, rests his eyes as he lies next to Alex. He said the scratches on his face are from a drunken night when he was struck by a car.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Los Angeles — AJ, left, and Alex hold hands while looking for a shelter operated by a mental health center. Alex had wanted AJ to take the only available bed. But AJ dismissed the suggestion, saying the more reticent Alex would not cope alone on the streets. "If you love somebody, you take care of them, right?" says AJ on a later date. "It would've hurt really bad to see Alex on the street and me inside."

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Los Angeles — AJ takes a cigarette break on the sidewalk with his stolen goods: a roasted chicken, a bottle of vodka and a bag of candy for his boyfriend Alex.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Hollywood — AJ and his friend Ricky, 21, right, try to bum cigarettes off a vendor in Hollywood.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Hollywood — AJ checks out the scratches on his face in his boyfriend's mirror in Hollywood.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Hollywood — Alex, right, tries to lift AJ, who had fallen over drunk in Hollywood. Their belongings wait in a shopping cart.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Los Angeles — AJ and Alex chat across the street from the shelter.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Los Angeles — On another night, Alex, left, and AJ found cots at New Image, a Los Angeles homeless shelter.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Los Angeles — Alex and AJ kiss goodnight outside the shelter.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Los Angeles — A lonely and distraught AJ bursts into tears after breaking his bottle of vodka. "What do I have to live for?" he asked.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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Los Angeles — AJ searches for a lighter in his toiletries bag. He moved under a bridge to be closer to Alex, who is staying in a nearby shelter.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christina House / For The Times

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