Ontario CA, location of one of many tent cities popping up

Here are some videos of a tent city / shanty town that has popped up in the suburbs of Southern California. I’ve never seen anything like this in America since the great depression. At first it seems as though many of the residents had lost their houses due to the mortgage crisis, and I am sure some had, but it seems rather that most here have just fell on hard times due to the economy in Souther California in general. The tent city has been removed by the city and no longer exists to my knowledge. We only went there a few times, as our major work is in Los Angeles with the homeless on Skid Row.

Is a campground the solution to the problem of homelessness? The California City of Ontario thinks so.

Tent cities have sprung up outside Los Angeles as people lose their homes in the mortgage crisis.

Some people backpack for fun. They consider carrying all of their food and belongings in extreme heat with no running water or facilities a sport. But for millions of Americans living without permanent home, this lifestyle is a never-ending nightmare.

When I met Janine one month ago, she was living in one of Sacramento’s now infamous tent cities. She works as a gardener, but does not earn enough income to afford or sustain permanent housing. She says she cannot stay in area homeless shelters because there are not enough beds to meet the demand. Janine has been closely involved in the debacle surrounding Sacramento’s tent city. She even spoke about the issue to city council.

Even still, her efforts to improve her situation didn’t matter the morning we met. The day I met Janine, tent city residents were told that if they didn’t pack their things and leave, they would be arrested. She had saved up enough money to put her belongings in storage, but still did not know where she is going to spend the night. Needless to say, on that dark day, she said her future looked grim.

One of Janine’s wishes was for everyone to be on “safe ground,” a term used to describe a proposed location where the homeless can camp legally with access to basic needs. I still hope her wish comes true. – via current.com