HUD Proposes That You Can’t Live My Lifestyle
It’s no secret that Federal, State, County and City governments do not like people to live in homes under 1,000 square feet, nor outside of conventional homes or apartments, and that laws are being increasingly passed to “help” those in economic distress by preventing them from taking advantage of unconventional living arrangements. They do this to “protect” their communities, and while they note that large numbers of people in this country are homeless, they act to prohibit what they consider substandard housing, yet at the same time fail to offer alternative housing arrangements or housing programs for the poor. The usual reason cited is lack of funds. The end effect is to hope and say, “be poor somewhere else”.
The same problems and community reactions that served as the inspiration for the classic story The Grapes of Wrath, which was intended to be a snapshot of a past place and era when compassion was at a low ebb, is coming back on us once again. In many towns, if you are found to be sleeping inside your vehicle, you’ll be in violation of local ordinance, and cited. Should that vehicle be disabled and you’re saving up to have it fixed, it will be towed and impounded with daily fees, and you’ll be out on the street with only what you can carry. Given that recent studies have shown that medical treatment costs are the principle driver for personal bankruptcies, this is a message to not get cancer or other costly illnesses, or else.
In fact, I recently read newspaper accounts of one city where a volunteer organization built and provided “tiny homes” to homeless families, only to have the city confiscate and destroy Read more…
Strolling Amok 