Tent City becomes home in tough times

Give more to the corporations so you get more campaign money. Helping the little guy won't get you elected. It's always been like that in the US. Those that need it the most have to beg for it.

You have me in tears after reading that. But thank you and god bless you for trying. It's important we all do what we can these days. I have elderly neighbors that I check on daily to make sure they are well. I think we ourselves and each other that much.

Update on my homeless couple. They came over today for dinner. Very pleasant people. They used to live with their daughter and she moved on to live with her boyfriend. They lost the lease on the 1 bedroom they had when the landlord went bankrupt and the house went to foreclosure. They tried Social Services, Office of the Seniors and many other local agencies, answer was always the same "Look for a shelter, here is a print out of shelters in our area" And of course there was never room for two people at any shelter and at their age they refused to break up. He used to be a teacher, she was a nurse. They have no savings, they get $80.00 in food stamps and $280.00 in personal benefit per month as well as the small pension from Social Security. It breaks my heart to see an elderly couple like this living in a Van. I offered them my upstairs apartment but they declined because she is allergic to cat hair and I have two of those. I set them up with an appointment at the Housing Authority on Monday and they have my number. I feel so helpless and drained.
"There for the grace of god go I"

There are tent cities all over the US right now, I think its a Federal issue. We cant leave it to the local cities or states they are out of resources. Instead of a couple of Billions to AIG or Banks or Car makers, why not give a few to the states specifically to deal with the homeless issue. Give some money to Housing Authorities and let them handle it on a local level, they know the area, they can give housing vouchers so the money is not abuse.

The so called advocates where thrilled to get any attention that they felt their prayers had been answered. I am not so sure about that. Mayor Nickels record on this is terrible. Seattle has a long record of problems with poverty and homelessness. Questions that one should ask: Why now? He waited almost a year before making this statement, and then only after the exposure they received on TV when Arnold S. was touring the town. 2) What is he going to do that he couldn't done several months ago? He has claimed that the "Shelters handle all requests they get" which we know is wrong. CBS "60 minutes" had a report on the Tent city 8 months ago and interviewed shelter staff that claimed they had waiting lists. So, something is rotten in the state of Washington, not sure if it's the smell from Tent City or the Mayor.

oh no another article that gets me crazy lol. Money for housing has been cut all over the place. Does anybody honestly think that the "good Mayor" decided to just go ahead and help all these poor people? Please! The city knew about this since last summer, they did nothing. Shelters turned people away simply because they had no space and the city had no money for additional shelters. Now the Mayor finds the money and promises to find homes/shelter for over 200 familes (!?) And the homeless advocates are applauding (!?)

Great comment Galwayman! I was just going to post that, so I echo that. Its sad that our own government has more ties to the Corps and Banks (see campaign contributions) then their own citizens. Banks run all over you, charge you any rate they want, charge you fees to access your money, charge you for ATM's, statements, late charges, raise your interest rates at whim, but sure we need to feel bad for them and send them a few more billions. These people in Tent City probably didn't have those worries, I think they where more thinking of things along the line of ..where is my next meal coming from..but you see, they cant contribute to senators and legislators, so tough out of luck.

The waiting lists for public housing are years long! funding to shelters have been cut here in Ma.at least and I'd suspect around the country! meanwhile we are giving hundreds of billions away in corperate welfare and sending even more to other countries! "our" government,its not really ours,the elite control it,continues to screw the rest of us!

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is full of bulls@@@ .. they are not taking it down because of compassion for the people. This is the day after he tours the area with Arnold the Gov. They said they where going to "help" all these people and close down the tent city. They are closing it down because it's a shame for the city. Mayor Nickels knew this was a problem when CBS 60 mins put this out on National TV 6 months ago, the residents in the tent city told reporters they where turned down by the city, by shelters and housing authority. Now all the sudden the mayor finds housing for over 200 people !? .. come on shame on you Mayor. Whats scarier is that the homless advocate groups where applauding the Mayors decison to close down the tent city!

Well said you all. The other day when I went food shopping I saw an elderly couple that I have seen over and over at the same market and always wondered why we would keep running into each other. I saw them leave, they went to a Van that was parked in the back. They actually live in that van. They are both around 50-60, he walks with a cane. I just could not help myself, I went over to them and started a conversation. They where homeless because the daughter went to live with boyfriend in Montana and left them in the cold. They applied for Social service and where told "Find a shelter in your area" and gave them $80.00 in food stamps (for both of them, per month) I made some calls to mostly charitable organizations and they have an appointment on Monday with housing authority. I invited them to my house for dinner on Sunday .. that's my heart you hear!

This is sad but good at the same time. No one should be wondering the streets. There should be ways for these people to live in relatively clean and safe environments. It is a basic human right to be able to live. And not having money shouldn't change that right...

after the rich eat all the money they are being given and we are in a second great depression we'll all be living in tent cities!

Hope this gets more media attention. I haven't seen anything on the mainstream news about this. Lets get the word out.

In Sweden we have socialized housing & Health, and we still have some people living in cars even though the government will find a place and pay the rent. Those people say its pride and they dont want to accept the money from government. Here it seems the other way around in the US, people needing the government but they have Pride and dont want to give it to them. Wrong ?

they are just going to get rid of them because its attracting attention. they arent trying to help them.

Follow up 3/20/09:

A SPRAWLING "tent city" of the homeless that has drawn worldwide media attention as a symbol of US economic decline will be shut down Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson promised to first make alternative shelter space available for the estimated 150 men and women who inhabit the squalid encampment near the American River, at the edge of the city's downtown.

Mr Johnson, who toured the area with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger a day earlier, said he hoped to have the ramshackle settlement cleared of tents and debris in the next two to three weeks.

"We want to move as quickly as we can," he said, insisting the city was determined to treat the tent dwellers with compassion.

The fact that the majority of Americans are 1 paycheck away from "Tent City" gives me anxiety. Keep bailing out the banks and AIG - see what they will do for these people that have no homes, no food, children that have no clothes or schools to go to. God bless America.