Tent City

[oly]

Some are already being forced to survive in California.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26776283/

[pathfinder3081]

Wonder if the feds will start putting some up in the forclosed homes? You know in the east, once your asigned a residents it is illegal to live somewhere else without permission. 2 bedroom flats (apartments) get 6 to 8 people.
I don't think we have seen anything yet. Wait until it gets hot. The tent cities get larger...Mmmmm, put's one to thinking. PF

[Lostinoz]

Wow (!), and this article was written in September of 2008! I wonder how much it has increased since that time?

Since last week, I have had 2 close friends laid off from work and 3 have been fired from their positions. All have families with small children. Times are getting harder and harder. :(

[Lostinoz]

U.S. Jobless Forced to Live in Tents

Another article on the tent cities..

http://itn.co.uk/news/2aeef5a3dd9522709e12c1da0301404b.html

US jobless forced to live in tents
Updated 11.15 Thu Mar 12 2009

Unemployment and forced evictions have forced increasing numbers of Californians to live in tents.

Cities made up of the canvas shelters are popping up at an alarming rate across the state.

In Sacramento more than 300 people have been reduced to living in tents on 40 acres of unused land.

Tracy Vaughan has been living in the tent city for six months with her husband after they both lost their jobs.

She said: "We both worked for the same company, we both got laid off on the same day. So yeah, it just kind of happened."

Another resident, Erich Platz, who has been living in there for one month, said there were no jobs to support him anymore.

"Nothing going on in carpet, nothing going on in concrete, nothing going on in carpentry....There's no boom anymore so its busted," he said.

A soup kitchen has been set up to feed the tent city residents.

Many homeless shelters in the Sacramento area have run out of beds to accommodate the growing number of homeless citizens.

Co-director of the Loaves and Fishes Friendship Park in Sacramento, Garren Bratcher, said he has noticed a 20 per cent jump in the number of people using the park.

"It's been entire families not just the guy who decided to leave his wife and get drunk. Whole families, three or four, five people at a time," he said.

Friendship Park is a private charity that provides information and a safe environment for homeless guests as well as food and shelter

US President Barack Obama is calling on American citizens to remain hopeful and is asking for patience as the country is hit by rocketing unemployment and deep financial insecurity.

His administration recently signed off a £572 billion economic stimulus plan designed to kick start the economy.

So far 4.4 million jobs have been lost in the US since the recession began in December 2007.