L.A. Seeing More People Living Out of their Cars

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

L.A. seeing more people living out of their cars

By CHRISTINA HOAG, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES - Having lost her job and her three-bedroom house, Darlene Knoll has joined the legions of downwardly mobile who are four wheels away from homelessness. She is living out of her shabby 1978 RV, and every night she has to look for a place to park where she won't get hassled by the cops or insulted by residents.

"I'm not a piece of trash," the former home health-care aide said as she stroked one of five dogs in her cramped quarters parked in the waterfront community of Marina del Rey.

Amid the foreclosure crisis and the shaky economy, some California cities are seeing an increase in the number of people living out of their cars, vans or RVs. Acting on complaints from homeowners, the Los Angeles City Council got tough earlier this year by forbidding nearly all overnight parking in residential neighborhoods such as South Brentwood.

But some people are just crowding into other parts of the city, including the seaside community of Venice, where dozens of rusty, dilapidated campers can be seen lined up outside neat single-family homes. The stench of urine emanates from a few of the vehicles, and some residents say they have seen human waste left behind."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080623/ap_on_re_us/mobile_homeless

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. I'm about 4 weeks away from that myself

And I don't own an RV.

[lebkuchen]

16. Can you get yourself a used van w/a Westfalia pop-top tent

??

I've lived out of one of those for awhile, heating food on tinpans on top of the floor heater, making hot water for coffee from the electric outlet, in-house porta-potty.

Have now upgraded to one that actually has a cooler, sink and stove.

[yurbud]

36. craigslist is your friend. I've seen some old ones for very cheap.

[phantom power]

2. Bushvilles

[lebkuchen]

4. RVs can park for free overnight in designated areas all around Europe

There's a book you can buy that tells you where they are. Doesn't the U.S. have something like that? If not, they'd better get busy.

[phantom power]

6. I think many Walmarts allow this.

[Cleita]

8. WalMarts do and other big box stores, but many cities won't let them like

in my city. The police regularly harass people who park their RV's and campers in the parking lots and there is a municipal code against it.

[lebkuchen]

3. Bush's definition of "freedom"

"the American dream," and "help is on the way."

[skooooo]

24. The "Ownership Society.."....

@#$)%*(&#$)*(%#)$(*#@%)*@$&%)@#*$(#@

:mad:

[lebkuchen]

33. When Germans, Italians, Turks, whomever, move Americans out of a place

they can't believe how much stuff Americans have, so much stuff, often over 20,000 pounds worth, that it often takes three days to move an American out of a place (it took one day for my "stuff," -- not a minimalist, but German apartments just aren't that big).

[arewenotdemo]

38. that doesn't surprise me

thank gawd for other cultures

[sentelle]

46. The ownership society

Is where Big Business owns you.

Jeez, sounds like a soviet russia joke.

You know, "in america, you can own a big buiness, but in soviet Russia, big business owns you!" Substitute "Bush's America" with "Soviet Russia" and its creepily true.

[Cleita]

5. My late husband and I lived in an RV for ten years, but we

always had money for campground fees and to dump our black water. I think the city would be wise to open some parking lots for these people down on their luck and provide some water, porta potties and honey wagon services. It really wouldn't be too expensive and would give a hands up until those people can get back on their feet.

[lebkuchen]

12. definitely!

It's as though the U.S. were reverting to The Grapes of Wrath days. Why can't the country anticipate?

[shanti]

17. actually

there are some parking lots in LA that do this for single women living out of their cars. they are locked in at nite. i recently read an article about this, but can't remember the newspaper - it might have been the LA times.

[tpsbmam]

23. Do all of that for free.....

I got this second hand from my brother. He and his wife have a RV and can't afford to run it given the gas prices. They've applied to the Everglades National Park to stay there all winter next winter for free in return for volunteering there. They have jobs like computer stuff for my sister-in-law and taking care of recycling for my brother.

[Cleita]

32. We used to do that seasonally, winter and summer by working for the Forest Service in

or other similar entities various states. In the spring and fall we just traveled. We got free hookups and parking in exchange for work. They work you really hard though 7 days a week for the season. Be forewarned. I'm sure some of the homeless people can find work within this system to get back on their feet, if they are reasonably healthy and have some income like SS to eat and buy gas. However, those with mental or physical problems might not be able to do the job.

[Initech]

7. Yet another sign of the Bush economy at work.

:mad:

I swear to god if I ever meet Antonin Scalia I am going to kick him in the balls.

[Zavulon]

10. ?

I know Scalia's a dick, but what am I missing here?

[Initech]

13. He's responsible for giving us the piece of crap we have in the White House.

See Bush v. Gore - Supreme Court decision Dec. 2000.

[Zavulon]

14. Sorry, for some reason I

was thinking "what does Scalia have to do with the tax cuts?"

Brain fart, never mind.

[Tab]

25. You can't.

You can't hit what isn't there.

[Barrett808]

9. We're seeing this in Seattle, too

Near Fisherman's Terminal. I expect by this time next year, there will dozens, if not hundreds, lined up along Gilman Avenue.

And we're hardly a "tourist state with a temperate climate."

[eridani]

40. We are compared to Omaha or Topeka

--just not compared to San Diego.

[Speck Tater]

11. In my town

out at the west edge of town there are some roads that were put in for a development, but the development never happened, so they are just empty fields. A lot of people were parking campers and RV's there, so the city brought in porta-potties for the people to use. That seems like a much more enlightened approach to me.

[lebkuchen]

15. In parts of Europe you can also park on private property if

you purchase a meal in the owner's gasthaus or buy wine from their vineyard, etc.

You'd be amazed at how many military families will show up for a cheap hotdog sale, they're that hard-up for money.

Private mutually beneficial arrangements could be one answer.

[daggahead]

18. Hooverville Redux

Maybe, if these folks can afford the fuel, they should all drive to Washington DC and park right in front of the Presidential Palace.

[rucognizant]

22. That's what the Bonus Army did!

[pattmarty]

19. What a great country!!!!!!!!!

[sofa king]

20. Harvey Korman, John Ritter, and George Carlin would be unsurprised.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americathon

Shame it was such a crappy film.

[mikeytherat]

43. Hell, it may have been crappy, but it was prophetic.

A man becomes President only because of his last name. He moves the White House out west, and re-names it "The Western White House." Then, the country is bankrupted.

Sounds oddly familiar, yes?


(yes, this is real - not a Photoshop)

mikey_the_rat

[sofa king]

47. Too true.

Here's one that's well on its way to coming true, too: "Can you spare twenty-five dollars for a cup of coffee?"

[undeterred]

21. Living in cars they can't afford to put gas in

so its not like they can shop around for a good place to park.

[mdmc]

26. How do they register their cars and get their drivers licenses?

Can they use a PO Box to register their cars, insurance, and receive their drivers license?

[Trillo]

28. I'd imagine they could use a relative's place,

or possibly a friend's.

[mdmc]

29. I often have wondered about this

I live in a welfare state - NYS. If someone becomes homeless, we have a shelter to place them in (not great, but shelter). If the shelter is filled, the county will pay for a hotel room (again, not great, but shelter).

Right now I cannot afford to live on my own. I was able to make ends meet by having a roommate. My roommate got married (and didn't want me to live with him and his wife) and I was really fucked.

I was super close to living out of my car. And I am employed and work 60 hours per week!

[Trillo]

27. Deja Vu

I just met a guy living in his truck (SoCal). claims to have a painting and stucco biz. How's biz, I asked. Fine, he replied, but he didn't have time to stop and talk.

I guess what he meant was that he just can't afford the high rents and high gas to work: Better off financially to live in the truck.

[qwlauren35]

30. More Anti-McCain votes... I hope.

I was looking at some of McCain's policies recently, and one of them is a staunch refusal to bail out people who made poor mortgage decisions.

Hopefully, everyone living in a car maintains their voter registration.

Hurt "the little people" long enough and the country turns Democrat.

[ThePowerofWill]

31. Sad story, it's happening all over.

A couple that rents my old house has not paid rent in about 5 months. They have always been good about paying, but she had a baby a few months back, and he's on very short hours. I don't have the heart to make them leave. I am so embarrassed to go even ask for the rent. I basically told them pay the house insurance when you get your stimulus check, and i'll forget the rest.

[lebkuchen]

34. very generous of you

Perhaps they can exchange labor for pay, especially when it comes to maintaining the house, like in "To Kill a Mockingbird"-- an "entailment"

[ThePowerofWill]

35. Been seriously thinking about that.

When i was a young man it was common practice for many farmers like myself who owned 2 houses or more to let folks live for a little labor, or just to keep the house up.

Only reason i have not yet is i fear another tear fest. I go to see them, yes about the rent, but not caring if i get it really. More of a how ya doing visit. Then i get the tears because they are having such a hard time. Then when i tell them not to worry about it i have to go through the water works again. It's a very uncomfortable situation.

When i was young and starting out i made it because i had a lot of family support, these poor folks don't have any support close by to count on. Social services will only give them a bare minimum of some food stamps(which recently got cut down in amount)and medicade for the baby.

It's a fuckin shame the shape this country is in, and when people need help they get the pull yourself up by your bootstrap speech. I'm thinking a lot of these bootstrappers are forgetting the help they got along the way.

[arikara]

39. Have no words

just this.

:hug:

[lebkuchen]

41. Does this family know about the WIC program?

Women, Infants, Children assistance...

http://www.health.state.ny.us/prevention/nutrition/wic/

In base commissaries, foods which can be bought with these aide stamps are labeled throughout the store, which means a lot of soldiers' families qualify. Your tenents may as well. They can't afford not to look into it. Maybe they already have.

Then I would discuss an entailment so they can get some satisfaction in using the boot-strap approach when given the opportunity. You also have the right to know what their plan is...free rent forever or .... looking for a better paying job? Hopefully they are getting some professional state-assisted advice with financial planning and so forth.

My dad kept our family afloat with three jobs not knowing for a few years that he qualified for social security payments from his deceased wife who had been employed. He could only get the money retroactive to the beginning of the current year, which really helped us; but without seeking out other financial aid, he lost money that we desperately needed.

[lebkuchen]

44. You don't have to be just in the state of NY

This is a better link:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/

[Nihil]

42. What a wonderful example you are setting.

Having thoughtfulness for others, showing kindness in the community,
being concerned for people, directly caring for the less fortunate,
helping those in greater need than yourself and, overall, a true sense
of fairness in all things.

You are truly leading by example, not because it is your job to do so
but simply because it is the right thing to do. Thank you.

:hi:

[superconnected]

37. This is heart breaking. I realize this woman has a mental disability

but it appears they're saying the middle class is ending up homeless, even with jobs.

[fasttense]

45. The bush republican new America consists of

Legions of downwardly mobile.