LAWRENCE — Dennis Dietrich recalls Aug. 26 as just another warm night under the Central Bridge. Dietrich, a former carpenter who has made the underbelly of the bridge his home for about eight years, had everything he needed: beer, a radio for some tunes, and a campfire.

No one knows how many homeless people chose to sleep outside that night in Lawrence, but the estimates from advocates and homeless range as high as 500 for those who regularly make their beds under bridges, in cars, in parks, and even in dumpsters.