[chibbers]

Tent Cities Spread In U.S. As Economy Sags
Foreclosure Crisis Blamed For Rise Of Homeless Camps In Cities

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/19/national/main4460034.shtml?source=RSSattr=U.S._4460034​

From Seattle to Athens, Ga., homeless advocacy groups and city agencies are reporting the most visible rise in homeless encampments in a generation.

"It's clear that poverty and homelessness have increased," said Michael Stoops, acting executive director of the coalition. "The economy is in chaos, we're in an unofficial recession and Americans are worried, from the homeless to the middle class, about their future."

The phenomenon of encampments has caught advocacy groups somewhat by surprise, largely because of how quickly they have sprung up.

 

[Ramona M. Faunce]

Tent cities have been expanding for a few years now. You see it more in the larger cities. This allows the homeless access to a wider range of employment opportunities. Most of these are short term (hours or a few days of work) jobs that bring in just enough income to feed your family if you're lucky.

The soup kitchens and food banks around America are finding it hard to feed the ever increacing numbers of the homeless and poverty stricken citizens. In most cases, these families NEVER thought that they would be in the possition that they find themselves. It is heart breaking.

 

[cadethepagan]

"Bush Acres is the place for me...tent living is the way to be."
Forclose on your house and move to Bush Acres now!

Bush acres here we come!!!!!!!!

-Cade

 

[mcm4ever]

lol, that'd be hella funny if everyone headed that way(bush achres)!

 

[Grinnan Barrett]

Here in Dallas area we tend to hide the poor well. The old MAD HOUSERs are not around anymore. too bad. My house is paid for thank GOd. Part of preparedness planning should be to get your home paid off as soon as you can. Don't borrow against your house.

 

[anne36]

I was just reading about this and I wonder what these people are going to do when winter hits? I cant imagine being forced to live in a tent this time of year. Its getting chilly at night.

 

[hanklet0]

Yeah, things are gettin bad thats for sure. I think were gonna have a lot of people freeze to death this year. Im sure the media will cover it, "its Bush's fault"

 

[mcm4ever]

what's going to happen is they'll try moving in with us. they are already coming to our house door asking for food and $.

 

[Nightwing]

what's going to happen is they'll try moving in with us. they are already coming to our house door asking for food and $.

If I had a guy that was man enough to look me in the eye and say "My family an I have nowhere to go, nobody we know, and are hungry and filthy. Can you help", I would invite them in, let them use my shower, and offer them anything in my pantry. I don't have much. We're dollars from losing our house every month. I am working a full time job and 2 part time jobs right now, and my wife works as well. We are definitely considered lower class. BUT.... being this close to losing it all, I have a lot of compassion for those that honestly did work hard and still got the shaft. I will be a brother and feed them, and clean them, and even give them my clothes if they need them or if they will fit.
If there are many of these people.... they're welcome to set up a tent in my back yard, but in return I will ask that they maybe do some work around my house or something like that. In return I will buy big bags of beans and rice and do what I can to help to feed them, and give them access to a computer and a phone to try and get a job. Nothing that is mine is so precious to me that I won't let someone else have access to it if it will help them get back on their feet and provide on some level for their family.
Yes it's annoying, but try being on the other end of it.
As for all the lazy meth heads that throw every dollar at drugs and will never learn...... I can't help them..... but if they have children, the child may stay and be taken care of, becasue it isn't their fault their parent is an ignoramus. The parent can go figure out life on their own and come back when they want to see or take their kid again, but for the time I had I would love the child and be a good friend to them as well as I could.
Tents too cold ib the winter? Well.... help me build some sort of storage for my tools and crap and I'll put them there and you may sleep in the garage.
Proved that I can trust you and you pose no threat to my finances, my family, or of being a thief? You may sleep on my couch or on the floor by our dinner table.
Guys..... get a little bit "schindlers list" with your lifes. It's so much more fulfilling. And you will meet some amazing people that just need a little help.
That is all.


PS..... anyone wanna start a tent city if I lose my little shack of a house?

 

[shibbershabber]

A real SHTF 'bug out' experience.

 

[mgd_only]

well the homeless here tend to go to a store thats sells tents and sleeping bags. acts like there gonna pay and then bam make a run for the door. if they make it hey they got a new bed and house if they get caught hey the go to jail 3 hots and a cot with heating.
happens every year in winter time. its a win win situation in there eyes. if they get a short stay in the slamer they try again rinse wash repeat style.

 

[joelchrisman]

Being homeless sucks believe me i know. I lived out of my car for a bout 3 months through the fall, i was definatly a crazy experiance. o well we will all be heir living in tent cities when tshtf

 

[Mad Dog]

For those who think it can't be done, this family lived here in Tok, Alaska through the winter of 1977-1978 while building their cabin. Of course this was a choice, and they did it to create a better life, unencumbered by the governmental BS in the city. Temps can sometimes reach down to -60* below during the winter. :

http://www.alaskawintercabin.com/tent_in_tok.html

"Our survival depended on cutting wood every day. In the coldest part of the winter we were burning a cord of wood every day (8 x 4 x 4). So we had to get out and cut. The first cord we cut was ours, to burn that night in the tent. Often we'd cut a second cord to sell. With that money, we were able to buy groceries and more gas to go back down that same old road to cut more wood. In the thirteen months living in the tent, we burned 120 cords of wood."

 

[anne36]

LMAO, that poor guy sitting on the toilet in subzero temps. I wouldnt last 1 day. Those people are real survivors.

 

[Yorkshire Boy]

When I was in Japan I saw amazing shacks alongside rivers and underneath bridges, real Robinson Crusoe type huts. I don't know where the people went when the rainy season arrived because the rivers rose significantly and they would get washed away if they stayed where they were.

Every night after finishing work I would see people bedding down in the train stations.

They weren't "homeless" in the sense that people in the UK are, drug addicts and the mentally ill.... The reasons for them living like that are different to the UK, family shame, loss of face....

Homeless people in Japan have a huge amount of pride, in the train stations they quite often hand in lost property.

I never saw anyone begging in Japan. I've heard that homeless folks in Japan can get angry if you try to give them money. I got strange looks from passersby for putting an unopened bottle of water next to a guy who was sleeping in a station.

In 1995 an earthquake struck the city of Kobe, about 6,000 people died and survivors spent months and months living in temporary accommodation, which were basically tent cities. A huge earthquake will hit Tokyo at some point and there will be massive loss of life and I'm sure that thousands of people will have to live in tent cities again.

As for Britain we have so few natural disasters of any scale the only realistic way that I can see people living in tent cities is if there is a major economic recession (I think we are on our way to a huge recession). People becoming bankrupt and having their houses repossessed is a serious possibility. However there is still a lot of council housing left and I think it would take mass homelessness on an unprecedented scale to make tent cities in the UK.

Sorry for waffling on, just my thoughts.

 

[hightech_redneck]

Remember now...we can't use "homeless" they are now to be called "urban outdoors men :thumb:

 

[Ramona M. Faunce]

The Urben Outdoorsmen in my area have a place under the bridge. They build a fire and hunker down between the fire and the back wall of the bridge. A few of them are on SSI and keep everyone in booze. Hey, it's their food of choice.

What I don't care for is the drunken behavior in public on our main street. I don't begrudge them their booze, and they shouldn't begrude my desire to walk down the street without being herassed for money, or lured comments.

 

[Renegade Chipmunk]

While many are in predicaments that they could have maybe avoided, most are not. We all live on a fine line of normalcy. It doesn't take much to push most over the edge into homelessness, and an outright debased conditions, when you have very limited resourses and nowhere to else to go. I feel sorry for them, and am glad I am not one of them. I also know there is nothing I can do to help them. This also why I wouldn't live in areas where it is likely you'll face these kind of calamities...when they go back and rebuild in these areas, I concider them to be less than bright.
When full force SHTF is here, these kinds of situtations will be fond memories.

 

[zoltan]

Tent cities aren't just for the homeless. Tent city is also used as a jail here in Phoenix. Many of the lesser offenders and those awaiting trial are housed in tents.