Mar 15, 2009: Tent City

[Stormieweather]

There was an article in my local newspaper a few days ago about how motels are the new homeless shelters. The number of school children in my town who are living in motels jumped from 30 last year to well over 300 this year. It is so easy to get there....lose a job, get house foreclosed on...where do you go? Apartments require a job, security deposit, and decent credit. All these people losing their jobs (unemployment rate) and houses (foreclosure rate) have to find new places to live.

Having been there, in a motel room, with my 2 children, I know it's not easy. We were there for 3 months. An eternity. Mine was due to a domestic violence and divorce, but not having a 'real' place to live was rough. If I hadn't had a decent job (two of them, actually) and able to afford the motel cost, I'd have been living somewhere in a tent too.

I don't believe that all homeless people are just lazy and happily living off the system. I know too many that would give anything to not be in that situation.