Homeless dogowner, Hollywood agent form special bond

LOS ANGELES - At Los Angeles Metro’s EXPO station on Bundy Drive near Olympic Boulevard in West Los Angeles, Norris Williams, his dog Nadia and their friend Nima Nasseri talk. 

"I'll look out for Norris till the day he dies," Nasseri said.

Norris Williams smiles.

How did this unlikely relationship between a homeless man and a Hollywood music agent come to be?

Well, it started back in November. 

"He (Williams) was just outside Food for Dogs on Fairfax and Santa Monica," Nasseri said. 

A conversation about the dog led to another about how Norris had been having Section 8 housing problems since 2014 and then a friendship developed.

On his 71st birthday in December Williams says, "Nima here surprised me with a cake. It was a fine gift. A really nice gift"

The biggest gift, though, may have been how night after night, and month after month, Nasseri helped Williams with housing.

This ended up being a major help as Williams was exploring section 8 rules, he learned that there were no available options due to his age and circumstances.

Nasseri says so far, he's spent about $8,000 of his own money to help Williams. But, says the Hollywood music agent, 

"It's not about Norris. It's about every Norris out there getting turned down by the people he has to depend on, which is us. The government, the people," Nasseri said. "Like you have a voucher that's expired for seven years and nobody told you? I learned about it with him. I mean, like, what is this?"

The bond between the two is mutual.

"I just opened up my heart to him and what have you and he's been there," Williams said.

"At night when it's raining and it's cold and I'm thinking about him and the dog it breaks my heart," Nasseri said. "I mean, I get really emotional thinking about it."

And, what's at the root of the respect? 

"I think it's pretty much how you maintain and carry yourself," Williams said.

"He's a good upstanding citizen; no drugs, no alcohol, no crime. There's no reason why he shouldn't have a place to sleep at night," Nasseri said.

Now, Nima Masseri has set up a funding campaign with the hope of raising enough money for his 71-year-old friend have a roof over his head for about a year and maybe even start a dog training business.

Those looking to help Norris and Nadia can click here: