Former Nickelodeon star Tylor Chase sleeps on his mother’s porch while homeless: ‘A safe space’

Once a familiar face on after-school television, Tylor Chase is now being seen in circumstances far removed from his Nickelodeon days. Fresh images circulating this week show the 36-year-old actor asleep on the floor of a California porch, partially hidden behind a sheet of plywood.

The former Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide star is currently living without stable housing and struggling with long-term substance use and serious mental health conditions, as reported by New York Post. According to his family, Chase has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, illnesses that require consistent medical care , care he has repeatedly declined despite years of intervention attempts.

The porch where he has been spotted belongs to his mother, Paula Moisio, who has described the arrangement as a way of keeping her son close while still maintaining boundaries, says it's his 'safe space'. Neighbours in Riverside, California, say Chase has become a familiar presence and an 'unfortunate fixture', in the area, though there is no indication of formal complaints being lodged.

This is not the first time his situation has drawn attention. Last year, Chase was photographed searching for food in a dumpster near a 7-Eleven, images that sparked widespread concern and renewed conversations about the long-term toll of childhood fame. Since then, his living conditions appear to have deteriorated further, with the plywood barrier on the porch offering little more than symbolic shelter.

Family members say this crisis did not emerge overnight. Chase’s father previously revealed that the family has spent more than a decade trying to secure treatment for him. There have been brief moments of progress including a stint in treatment in Georgia around 2021, but each has ended the same way: medication stopped, drugs resumed, and support rejected. His return to California was meant to offer a chance at stability, yet sustained recovery has remained elusive.

Well-meaning public efforts have also faltered. A GoFundMe campaign launched by concerned supporters raised around $1,200 before Moisio shut it down herself, explaining that cash would only worsen the situation. Her position was blunt but resolute: her son needed medical care, not money.

Friends, too, have tried to step in. After a video of Chase went viral, former co-star Daniel Curtis Lee tracked him down in Riverside, bought him a meal, and paid for a motel room so he could spend a night off the streets. The attempt ended badly. According to Lee, the room was left severely damaged, the door open and appliances were overturned.

Police are deeply familiar with his case. Riverside officers reportedly encounter Chase at least once a week through a program designed to connect unhoused individuals with mental health and addiction services. Each time, those offers are declined. Court records show he has been arrested 12 times on misdemeanor charges since 2023, mostly for shoplifting from small businesses, though authorities confirm he is not currently wanted for any crimes.

Chase has spoken openly, if inconsistently, about his condition. He has acknowledged drug use and told the Daily Mail he vapes and takes multiple prescription medications, which he claims are prescribed by a psychiatrist. He has also downplayed the severity of his mental health issues, a claim that directly contradicts statements from his family.

Over the Christmas holidays, there was a brief hope of intervention. Reports indicate Chase was placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold in a Riverside hospital, with plans to transition him into rehabilitation. That plan collapsed. Soon after, he was seen once again outside a 7-Eleven, this time digging in the dirt, his hands visibly injured.