By Noel Brinkerhoff
United States - While
the U.S. unemployment rate has improved slightly in recent months, the
rosy news of better times ahead contrasts with the difficult reality
still haunting many Americans, especially for those living in tents to
survive.
It is estimated that at least 5,000 individuals today call “tent
cities” their home. These makeshift, and unhealthy, settlements have
sprung up in more than 50 cities, including Portland, Oregon; Lakewood,
New Jersey; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Pinellas Park, Florida; and
Bakersfield, California.
Some of the tent cities house a few dozen, while others provide
shelter for as many as 300. Many are supported by local churches while
others face eviction because of safety code violations.
The conditions of the encampment in Ann Arbor have been described
as “unhygienic." There are no toilets and electricity is only available
in the one communal tent where the campers huddle around a wood stove
for warmth in the heart of winter,” according to the BBC News.
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