STANDING forlornly in the rain on a cold May evening, Taheen Al Khafagey could be the face of homelessness in Parramatta.
Many people would have passed him and pretended not to notice.
Mr Al Khafagey can usually be found in his tattered clothes, and with bare feet, huddled in an enclave near McDonald's on Church Street.
The Iraqi migrant has lived on the streets for longer than he cares to remember, at least five years he says.
"It just happened," he tried to explain, "I don't know how.
"I don't know how to get out."
Mr Al Khafagey arrived in Australia about 12 years ago.
Whether he came legally or over-stayed a visa isn't clear.
What is certain is his life spiralled out of control when he could not find a job or accommodation.
Mr Al Khafagey said he was a mechanical engineer in Iraq, but no one would employ him when he arrived in Australia.
He has no family in Australia, and he struggled to name any friends.
"I describe myself as a poor person," he said.
Mr Al Khafagey survives from the change people give him and the blankets that charities leave by his pile of belongings.
There are many welfare services that help people like Mr Al Khafagey find employment and accommodation, but he has fallen through the cracks.
He said it would be "fantastic" if someone helped him find somewhere to live.
All the crisis and emergency accommodation providers in Parramatta contacted by the Sun were full last week. But welfare providers said they often found ways to help people despite being at capacity.