Tent Cities Spread In U.S. As Economy Sags

Foreclosure Crisis Blamed For Rise Of Homeless Camps In Cities

(AP)  A few tents cropped up hard by the railroad tracks, pitched by men left with nowhere to go once the emergency winter shelter closed for the summer.

Then others appeared - people who had lost their jobs to the ailing economy, or newcomers who had moved to Reno for work and discovered no one was hiring.

Within weeks, more than 150 people were living in tents big and small, barely a foot apart in a patch of dirt slated to be a parking lot for a campus of shelters Reno is building for its homeless population. Like many other cities, Reno has found itself with a "tent city" - an encampment of people who had nowhere else to go.

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

Nearly 61 percent of local and state homeless coalitions say they've experienced a rise in homelessness since the foreclosure crisis began in 2007, according to a report by the National Coalition for the Homeless. The group says the problem has worsened since the report's release in April, with foreclosures mounting, gas and food prices rising and the job market tightening.

"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.

"What you're seeing is encampments that I haven't seen since the 80s," said Paul Boden, executive director of the Western Regional Advocacy Project, an umbrella group for homeless advocacy organizations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Calif., Portland, Ore. and Seattle.

The relatively tony city of Santa Barbara has given over a parking lot to people who sleep in cars and vans. The city of Fresno, Calif., is trying to manage several proliferating tent cities, including an encampment where people have made shelters out of scrap wood. In Portland, Ore., and Seattle, homeless advocacy groups have paired with nonprofits or faith-based groups to manage tent cities as outdoor shelters. Other cities where tent cities have either appeared or expanded include include Chattanooga, Tenn., San Diego, and Columbus, Ohio.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development recently reported a 12 percent drop in homelessness nationally in two years, from about 754,000 in January 2005 to 666,000 in January 2007. But the 2007 numbers omitted people who previously had been considered homeless - such as those staying with relatives or friends or living in campgrounds or motel rooms for more than a week.

In addition, the housing and economic crisis began soon after HUD's most recent data was compiled.

"The data predates the housing crisis," said Brian Sullivan, a spokesman for HUD. "From the headlines, it might appear that the report is about yesterday. How is the housing situation affecting homelessness? That's a great question. We're still trying to get to that."

In Seattle, which is experiencing a building boom and an influx of affluent professionals in neighborhoods the working class once owned, homeless encampments have been springing up - in remote places to avoid police sweeps.

"What's happening in Seattle is what's happening everywhere else - on steroids," said Tim Harris, executive director of Real Change, an advocacy organization that publishes a weekly newspaper sold by homeless people.

Homeless people and their advocates have organized three tent cities at City Hall in recent months to call attention to the homeless and protest the sweeps - acts of militancy, said Harris, "that we really haven't seen around homeless activism since the early '90s."

In Reno, officials decided to let the tent city be because shelters were already filled.

Officials don't know how many homeless people are in Reno. "But we do know that the soup kitchens are serving hundreds more meals a day and that we have more people who are homeless than we can remember," said Jodi Royal-Goodwin, the city's redevelopment agency director.

Those in the tents have to register and are monitored weekly to see what progress they are making in finding jobs or real housing. They are provided times to take showers in the shelter, and told where to go for food and meals.

Sylvia Flynn, 51, came from northern California but lost a job almost immediately and then her apartment.

Since the cheapest motels here charge upward of $200 a week, Flynn ended up at the Reno women's shelter, which has only 20 beds and a two-week limit on stays.

Out of a dozen people interviewed in the tent city, six had come to Reno from California or elsewhere over the last year, hoping for casino jobs.

"I figured this would be a great place for a job," said Max Perez, a 19-year-old from Iowa. He couldn't find one and ended up taking showers at the men's shelter and sleeping in a pup tent barely big enough to cover his body.

The casinos are actually starting to lay off employees.

"Sometimes I think we need to put out an ad: 'No, we don't have any more jobs than you do,"' Royal-Goodwin said.

The city will shut down the tent city as soon as early October because the tents sit on what will be a parking lot for a complex of shelters and services for homeless people. The complex will include a men's shelter, a women's shelter, a family shelter and a resource center.

Reno officials aren't sure whether the construction will eliminate the need for the tent city. The demand, they say, keeps growing.

[babooph]

The middle class used to dream of getting rich-now they dream of not ending up in the new Bushville in a tent.

[tootall10142]

I AM A REALIST I DONT WALK THROUGH LIFE LOOKING THROUGH A FALSE HAZE OF UNREACHABLE DREAMS.IF YOU GET SICK AND BECAUSE OF THAT YOU GET PULLED DOWN BECAUSE OF INCOME DEBT RATIO THEN YOU ARE LIVING BEYOND YOUR MEANS.PEOPLE NEED TO ASK THEMSELVES A FEW QUESTIONS BEFORE SIGNING MONETATY CONTRACTS.A FEW WHAT IFS? MIGHT KEEP YOU A2SS FROM SLEEPING UNDER THE BRIDGE.

[silverado2nv]

This is terrible for America, yet;we keep letting every Mexican and African come here and give them the right to vote,guess who they will vote for ! RIGHT.Their own color until we are like Africa and Mexico,looks like we are almost there. NEXT YOU"LL SEE PEOPLE TAKING JOBS FOR .50 cents or $1.00 an hour to get work. SOUNDS LIKE 1929 and the 30''''s hitting us soon. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH STOP ALL IMIGRATION BEFORE IT''''S TOO LATE IF IT"S NOT ALREADY. DIVERSITY DOES DESTROY,HISTORY OF ROME PROVES IT. YEARS FROM NOW OUR KIDS KIDS WILL HEAR HOW GREAT WE ONCE WERE.LIKE ROME.

Posted by chad55555 at 07:33 PM : Sep 20, 2008

YOUR A MORON HAVE YOU STUDIED THE HISTORY OF THIS GREAT COUNTRY...FOR EXAMPLE WHO WAS ACTUALLY HERE FIRST AND WHO BROUGHT AFRICANS OVER, THE PROBLEM ISNT THAT WE LET HISPANICS AND BLACKS VOTE, THE PROBLEM ARE IDIOTS LIKE YOU BLAMING THEM FOR EVERYTHING, GET OVER YOURSELF,

[babooph]

History repeats!Now will some great general attack his old retired troops with his new recruits if they march in D.C.?

[chad55555]

This is terrible for America, yet;we keep letting every Mexican and African come here and give them the right to vote,guess who they will vote for ! RIGHT.Their own color until we are like Africa and Mexico,looks like we are almost there. NEXT YOU"LL SEE PEOPLE TAKING JOBS FOR .50 cents or $1.00 an hour to get work. SOUNDS LIKE 1929 and the 30''s hitting us soon. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH STOP ALL IMIGRATION BEFORE IT''S TOO LATE IF IT"S NOT ALREADY. DIVERSITY DOES DESTROY,HISTORY OF ROME PROVES IT. YEARS FROM NOW OUR KIDS KIDS WILL HEAR HOW GREAT WE ONCE WERE.LIKE ROME.

[dburfears]

In the 1930''s they called them "Hoovervilles".

Today we call them "GOPvilles".

Thank you George Bush and John McCain. I almost feel nostalgic.

[patronejohn]

Welcome back to Hooverville! Aren''t things wonderful under years of Republicans controlling the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government? And now, they want to nationalize the private markets after allowing free market extremism! Want more? Vote for McCain who by the way was part of the Senate Commerce Committee that oversees every part of the economy. Brother, can ya spare a dime?

[ofbyfor2]

KEEPING UP WITH JONESES JUST GOT A LOT CHEAPER AND EASIER.THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU BEYOND YOUR INCOME AND SIGN CHECKS YOUR A-SS CANT CASH.HERE IS A GROUP OF 150 IDIOTS THAT CANT HANDLE THIER OWN BUSINESS WITH SOUND JUDGEMENT AND REALITY INCOME FLAWS AND GREED.SYMPATHY CAN BE FOUND IN THE DICTIONARY BETWEEN SH---IT AND SYPHILISS.

Posted by tootall10142 at 10:20 AM : Sep 20, 2008

You''e making a mistake by assuming that it is ALL due to their OWN irresponsibility. 2 years ago, I got a freak flu that lowered my body temp yo 90 degrees. No health insurance. No freebie from the ER (contrary to what some people would like to believe.) I got a bill for $12000 for a 2-day stay in the hospital which I am paying off. Thank God the hospital had a policy not to go after people''s homes or I might be one of these tent people.

PS-have a regular 30-yr fixed mortgage which I''ve been paying on religiously for over 15 years. No debt aside from that.

PPS-you sound like a self-centered pig.

[slim1h2o]

Welcome to the barter economy. No more ''''I got mine, to hell with everyone else''''. How about ''''you scratch my back, I''''ll scratch yours''''?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by ofbyfor2 at 10:01 AM : Sep 20, 2008


Deal!

We may very well end up, or it may come to that.
In fact I try to practice the barter system anytime I deem it appropriate.

Some times, it''s better than money!

[ofbyfor2]

Tent Cities Spread In U.S. As Economy Sags

Coming to a spat of land near you!

Real soon.

Posted by slim1h2o at 06:49 AM : Sep 20, 2008

I hope not. (Hope I won''t end up being one of them, too.)

But if it does happen, I''ll be out there with soup and produce from my garden if people are willing to help me with work on my house and lawn.

Welcome to the barter economy. No more ''I got mine, to hell with everyone else''. How about ''you scratch my back, I''ll scratch yours''?

[ofbyfor2]

and you want that to run social security and our health care?????????

Posted by libluv2spit at 06:19 PM : Sep 19, 2008

Would you rather have seen Social Security privatized in light of the recent Wall Street downturn? We need the ''lockbox''--Gore was right.

Can you name a healthcare provider that spends it''s $ more efficiently than Medicare? Look it up, Medicare is very efficient (although it could still be improved) compared to most for-profit health care providers.

[ofbyfor2]

What have you got against Bill Gates? The guy does a massive amount of charity. He wasn''''t handed his fortune, he started out poor (Discovery Channel did a great documentary on him) and worked his way up. Do you no longer want the people at the bottom to have a chance to rise to the top?

Posted by Questionnews at 05:54 PM : Sep 19, 2008

Also, Bill Gates, along with Warren Buffett, Bill Clinton and--yes--Joe Biden have said that they DO think it''s patrotic for wealthy people to pay more in taxes, since it will lessen the debt we owe to China.

Perhaps Obama should have suggested that more Americans learn to speak Chinese...[sigh]

[ofbyfor2]

Homelessness increases yet there are thousands of vacant foreclosed homes. No work but illegal immigrants find plenty. Maybe we could send the illegals back to from wence they came and give the homeless their jobs and rent the vacant houses under section 8 HUD. Nah, that makes sense, the government would never do it.

Posted by Bob5ford at 04:58 PM : Sep 19, 2008

Actually, that''s not a bad idea at all.

If I could add one suggestion: Make the companies that hire the illegals responsible for the cost of deporting them.

[ofbyfor2]

this is obviously all in their heads ... what economic chaos are they talking about ... all the fundamentals are sound.

there''''s record estate ownership, the top tier income earners have more disposable income than ever, and their mercedes, jaguars, and porshes get better mileage than they did eight years ago.

so ... what''''s the problem w/ these people again?


Posted by bobnjersey at 04:47 PM : Sep 19, 2008

I DO hope that you are being sarcastic.

[ofbyfor2]

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer... and the middle class slides into poverty paying for them both. I have no problem helping out those less fortunate than I as it says in the bible and many other holy books, but bailing out the con men money changers on wall street and the investment class really galls me. We need to run these shylocks out of the temple of our democracy and restore our once good name as well as our industrial base. Instead of relying on the smoke and mirrors of interest rates and pie charts, we need to produce something more tangible than being the worlds arms supplier lest we be reduced to a servant class sending our sons and daughters off to their endless wars.

Posted by WogerWabbit at 03:00 PM : Sep 19, 2008

This seemed well worth repeating.

[ofbyfor2]

blondchic: "What do you bet that McCain will try and block these people from voting because they don''''''''t have a permanent address."

You took the words right out of my mouth. As I was reading the article I was thinking these people probably won''''t be allowed to vote for one reason or another.

Was this what Bushie was referring to when he mentioned a "shock and awe" campaign? Hell, it''''s time to say "Mission Accomplished."

Posted by DaGrandma at 02:37 PM : Sep 19, 2008


This is already happening in Michigan and it is SHAMELESS!
http://www.alternet.org/democracy/99087/obama_campaign_sues_michigan_gop_over_voter_challenges/

[ofbyfor2]

This is what you get when you have a liberal congress, a do nothing congress at that. You can blame Obuma, Chris Dodd, Piglosi, Kennedy, Ried, Kerry and the rest of the liberal cronies in the congress, we the people are paying for there mistakes, but they won''''t be accountable for what they have done, if it was the repubs doing this, there would be investigations after investigation, people would have commitees to answer to and all the other nonsense and excuses they come up with, get rid of these pricks and bong hole bleeders, and puss grinders. This is what you get for being "tolerenat" of there immoral as$holes! It really sucks to be a liberal! LOL!!

Posted by zgomer at 01:13 PM : Sep 19, 2008

I am so sick to death of people trying to blame everything on a ''liberal Congress''. They have tried many times to put forth legislation that would help average middle-class Americans. The Republicans in Congress are the elite who are only looking out for their big-business cronies and won''t get on board with it.

Since the Dems don''t have a filibuster-proof majority or a veto-proof majority, they are constantly stonewalled by the idealogue Republicans.

Ergo, the ''do-nothings'' are the Republicans.

[ofbyfor2]

In what is supposed to be the wealthiest and greatest country in the world, this is downright SHAMEFUL!

Hello, Bushville!

I guess they are lucky to be able to get tents. SAD!

[greenchik]

This is the next step in the "povertization" of America along with the calculated dumbing-down that is taking place. Not sure what the ultimate goal is, but look at who has made the most money from this entire housing and banking mess. They have no plan to fix anything. It is documented, however, that FEMA has hundreds of concentration-type camps around the country and one must wonder, "for whom?" Go to youtube and seek out the videos on this if you don''t already know about them. Is this the "New World Order"? People are disappearing and the many disenfranchized homeless will have no vote and no real say in anything. And to the new-comers Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.

[newsjunky5]

Maybe the Predasident (sp. on purpose) can step in and help. I think he knows a company that makes emergency housing trailers in Alaska.