Tent City Homeless Community

[rexbobcat]

I just finished a short little photo essay type thing for an online university publication here. Unfortunately most of the residents of the "Tent City" were apprehensive about being photographed except for one guy so I snapped a few photos of him. Because what is a story about an aspect of life that involves people if there are no...people.

This is Cliff Van Loan. He's technically not homeless. He's one of the managers of the City and lives there so as to make sure things don't get out of hand. He's quite a character.



And this is Joe. He recently moved to Tent City and is still waiting on employment. He's turned in around 20 job applications in the month that he's lived there.



I really don't want to be the guy who's all like "lol luk at my siet!" But....if anyone is interested the rest of the photos can be seen on my website in my signature

 

[cynthiav99]

Great Pics

 

[DannyLewis]

I broke my back when I was 19 and by the age of 21 I was homeless and lived outside for almost 18 years riding frieghttrains and hitchin rides here and there. (52 now)The best essay would have been to follow the tracks until you found what we referred to as HOBO jungles. They are the true homeless not the drunks and vagrants downtown, their just bums. I can say that I and not feel bad but the HOBO's would have made a better story. JMHO...HOBO=Helping Our Brothers Out

 

[DannyLewis]

good pictures

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

I broke my back when I was 19 and by the age of 21 I was homeless and lived outside for almost 18 years riding frieghttrains and hitchin rides here and there. (52 now)The best essay would have been to follow the tracks until you found what we referred to as HOBO jungles. They are the true homeless not the drunks and vagrants downtown, their just bums. I can say that I and not feel bad but the HOBO's would have made a better story. JMHO...HOBO=Helping Our Brothers Out

Wow. I didn't realize the homeless were judgemental of other homeless people, err, 'scuse me, "bums".

 

[pixmedic]

I broke my back when I was 19 and by the age of 21 I was homeless and lived outside for almost 18 years riding frieghttrains and hitchin rides here and there. (52 now)The best essay would have been to follow the tracks until you found what we referred to as HOBO jungles. They are the true homeless not the drunks and vagrants downtown, their just bums. I can say that I and not feel bad but the HOBO's would have made a better story. JMHO...HOBO=Helping Our Brothers Out

Wow. I didn't realize the homeless were judgemental of other homeless people, err, 'scuse me, "bums".

guess we should have googled "the homeless hierarchy"

 

[DannyLewis]

Wow, Sorry if I offended any one with the bum thing, After so many year's of living outside you get an opinion of the *street* people. The Hobo's work for a living it is just their choice to live outside. What I referred to as a bum has no goal's in life and want's everything just handed to them without doing anything for it. (bum) Not so much a label or hierarchy no different than middle class wealthy or the poor. It is a man or woman that has the ability to work but rather go for a free ride than do something constructive with their lives. No offense intended....

 

[Buckster]

Wow, Sorry if I offended any one with the bum thing, After so many year's of living outside you get an opinion of the *street* people. The Hobo's work for a living it is just their choice to live outside. What I referred to as a bum has no goal's in life and want's everything just handed to them without doing anything for it. (bum) Not so much a label or hierarchy no different than middle class wealthy or the poor. It is a man or woman that has the ability to work but rather go for a free ride than do something constructive with their lives. No offense intended....

So, the only people on the street are:

1. Awesome Hobos who prefer to live outside as a lifestyle.
2. Freeloading bums who could all find work (since there's no unemployment problem in this country), but choose to free ride on everyone else's coattails in the freezing cold with their kids because they're a bunch of lazy drunks.

Got it.

ETA: The two photos posted by the OP don't in any way convey to me "tent", "city", "tent city", "homeless" nor "community".

 

[DannyLewis]

When I lived out side there were no real shortage of work. You took the whole statement a little to far with what you have said. I have no more to say on the subject. If you live out side with them you will see them in a different way. And I was not referring to every one, but the majority would not work if job's were available.

 

[rexbobcat]

ETA: The two photos posted by the OP don't in any way convey to me "tent", "city", "tent city", "homeless" nor "community".

Because stories and reports aren't generally told in two images.

It's more informational than anything.

Since when do homeless people have to "look" homeless? Is it not enough that they are homeless...

I mean, I can understand wanting to convey a certain message with an image but posing these people like "you just don't look homeless enough" is kind of stupid.

On a side note: good lord what's with all of the controversy? They're just freakin people without homes. They're not another breed of human. They're ordinary people who just happen to smell unpleasant much of the time.

 

[MLeeK]

Nice job! I looked at your essay on the website too. Nice! I am a bit interested in how the tents are acquired. Are they military surplus and are they donated or is there a fund for them or...? And what is needed in Tent City that your fellow students or other residents can provide? Funds? Help? Time? Construction?

 

[rexbobcat]

Nice job! I looked at your essay on the website too. Nice! I am a bit interested in how the tents are acquired. Are they military surplus and are they donated or is there a fund for them or...? And what is needed in Tent City that your fellow students or other residents can provide? Funds? Help? Time? Construction?

Ah, yeah. I was thinking about putting that info I there but I didn't want to seem too long winded.

Most are donated by churches and non profit org in the area, but they are army surplus.

A lot of students come out to bring food and students of the business college did help to put up the solar panels and lighting system.

The residents aren't really receptive to outsiders, unfortunately, so it's hard to really help them that much be because they don't really wanted help much of the time.

I truly felt like a foreigner.

 

[MLeeK]

Nice job! I looked at your essay on the website too. Nice! I am a bit interested in how the tents are acquired. Are they military surplus and are they donated or is there a fund for them or...? And what is needed in Tent City that your fellow students or other residents can provide? Funds? Help? Time? Construction?

Ah, yeah. I was thinking about putting that info I there but I didn't want to seem too long winded.

Most are donated by churches and non profit org in the area, but they are army surplus.

A lot of students come out to bring food and students of the business college did help to put up the solar panels and lighting system.

The residents aren't really receptive to outsiders, unfortunately, so it's hard to really help them that much be because they don't really wanted help much of the time.

I truly felt like a foreigner.

I think that is a vital part of the story here and explaining it along with how people can help is critical to the whole article. There is a HUGE story in WHY they aren't receptive to outsiders and the first thing that people want to do upon reading about something like this is help. With these people going there to help isn't the answer, but are there funds set up for donations thru the churches or even the managers of Tent City?
When my son was in a Children's Hospital for a week at a time (twice) the local restaurants would donate the left overs after banquets... there is SO much like that which could be done, but you don't tell the story here.

 

[kathyt]

Nice job! I looked at your essay on the website too. Nice! I am a bit interested in how the tents are acquired. Are they military surplus and are they donated or is there a fund for them or...? And what is needed in Tent City that your fellow students or other residents can provide? Funds? Help? Time? Construction?

Ah, yeah. I was thinking about putting that info I there but I didn't want to seem too long winded.

Most are donated by churches and non profit org in the area, but they are army surplus.

A lot of students come out to bring food and students of the business college did help to put up the solar panels and lighting system.

The residents aren't really receptive to outsiders, unfortunately, so it's hard to really help them that much be because they don't really wanted help much of the time.

I truly felt like a foreigner.

The story and pictures on your website were very good. That is very interesting to me that they aren't really receptive to outsiders. Why do you think that is?

 

[DannyLewis]

Alot of reason for their not being receptive, I did not like my situation as a homeless person and having to go to a place like tent city and admit you need help has a certain amount of shame to it. Each person will have a different reason for dodging camera's and talking about their current situation. Some are wanted by the law other people just do not care and do not want to be bothered. It is a good question just to hard to answer.