Thursday, April 2, 2009

How Will the U.S. React to Tent Cities?

In the spirit of Obama's comment that "we are all in this together," here are a few pointers on tent cities of the homeless cropping up across the U.S.

Rhode Island:
Hope City, a community of 20 homeless people living in tents under the Crawford Street Bridge--Paul Davis

California:
Sacramento tent city closed; city to add beds to homeless shelters--The Onion

Nevada:

Strangely on Wednesday, a homeless advocate who's no fan of the mayor and an actual homeless person both pitched the same solution -- define a large area, preferably vacant land, and let homeless people take care of themselves there.--Las Vegas Review-Journal

Washington state:
A bill to limit the regulations local governments can impose on churches that host homeless encampments is apparently dead in the Legislature.--AP

This is a place for people who lose their jobs, lose their houses, to have some kind of structure and for them to get back out in the world," he says.

Set up in the parking lot of a church near Seattle, Washington, the camp houses anywhere from 50 to 100 homeless people each day.--CNN


Keep an eye on this emerging issue as the recession continues, and ask yourself if it portends anything significant for the state of the country.

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