Recent homelessness in America

[commandlinegamer]

A Channel 4 documentary showed an alarming number of tent cities which have grown up on disused land in towns and cities in the US.

The programme claimed 800,000 homes were foreclosed in the last year IIRC, and a million children are now homeless. I couldn't help thinking of The Grapes of Wrath and the communities of homeless people forced by economic conditions to move around the country looking for work.

Is it really getting as bad as they say? Surely we're not yet at 1930s' levels of deprivation?

 

[defaultdotxbe]

well tent cities certainly arent widespread, im sure they exist in places, but im sure theyve always existed in places

the documentary also notes "skid row" in LA, which has always had a large number of homeless, regardless of the recession, its actually quite a bit better than it was 5 years ago. california also has some of the highest cost of living in the country, so it can be hard to make ends meet even with a decent job in strong economic times

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

well tent cities certainly arent widespread, im sure they exist in places, but im sure theyve always existed in places

the documentary also notes "skid row" in LA, which has always had a large number of homeless, regardless of the recession, its actually quite a bit better than it was 5 years ago. california also has some of the highest cost of living in the country, so it can be hard to make ends meet even with a decent job in strong economic times

Or, possibly, just possibly, LA and California are prepared to spend more on "social services" than other states.

 

[theprestige]

Or, possibly, just possibly, LA and California are prepared to spend more on "social services" than other states.

California's willingness to spend more on "social services" has never been in question.

 

[Fnord]

California's willingness to spend more on "social services" has never been in question.

That may not last much longer. There is a growing sense of dis-enfranchisement among voters, and it's centered on the idea that "we" have been spending more on social services, yet the homeless population keeps growing! Obviously, throwing money at the homeless people in California has not proven to be a solution, and may have even exacerbated the problem...

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Is it really getting as bad as they say?

No

Surely we're not yet at 1930s' levels of deprivation?

Nowhere close.