The Number Of Americans Living In Their Vehicles “Explodes”

originally posted by: Edumakated
People aren't sleeping in their cars because of lack of affordable housing or because the economy isn't doing well.

If you peel back the onion, I would bet you'll see a huge connection to the opioid crisis. In other words, people are sleeping in their cars because they can't hold a job down due to their drug addiction.

There's this, and then there are the Home-Free people. The home-free people are those people who are often times touted around as homeless, but when offered services they just make excuses. These home-free people think that they should not be bothered having a place of residences and receive all the free-bees that governments have to offer. many of the home-free people are mixed in with the drug issue, since many of them chose a lifestyle of living on the fringes and exploiting others for their living.

Before any of you people go off on me about this, go ask yourself how many real unfortunate homeless people can go and have BBQ going at their personal encampments, afford the gas in their 1970's era RV, or buy high end booze for their nightly shin-digs? I see these crappos everyday up here in the PNW, and it sickens me that they get a pass because they claim to be homeless. City governments go out of their way to offer free housing to these people while neglecting he tax payers in the city. Hel in Seattle instead of building a new detention center for juveniles (while already has been paid for by the people in the city) the city government wants to put free housing for the homeless. Is it any wonder why you have issues like people living out of their cars when they can get free medical attention, free foods, free services, and let's not talk about the hands-off local police are forced into having to deal with when a homeless person commits a crime. The only time the city allows the police to take action against a homeless person who committed a crime is when it's being broadcasted by the local media (AS AN EXAMPLE OF THIS) That's the issue. Too many "Activists" and not enough taking action in local governments and bleeding hearts at the state and federal levels that do nothing but inable this home-free mentality.


There are peopl that for some reason or another can't live in a typical structured lifestyle or house, those I get, but these selve serving crappos that milk the system are the ones I have no patients for. Instead of fixing the issues that cause many of these people to become homeless (drugs, poor life choices, victims of domistic crimes) city governments are just handing out free-bees like goodies at a Sees Candy Store.

a reply to: DBCowboy

I think it's reality getting in the way of all the bull# we've been told over the last few years. The UK and Western Europe are seeing tons more rough sleepers on the streets. It was all, "Hey guys, recession's over! We're good again!" The rise in homeless people says something is wrong somewhere.

I think we're seeing a nasty rash on what's claimed to be a healthy world economy. The homeless are symptoms of something horrible. Cheerful thought lol.

While I would admit the economy is not great, I would also bet opiods are a factor here.

Anyone who thinks the president can change the economy from bad to good in less than one year of a budget and taking huge loans is not really objective. This expansion is from stimulus. This is the largest expansion in history. Huge number changes in economics are either a lie or warning of a bubble.

One of the dumbest things trump has done is attach himself to this economy. When it fails during his term it will have his name on it. He should have stayed skeptical.

cost of living has skyrocket since 08 and wages are exactly the same, I used to go for walks late at night to a nice Ralph's behind my apartment before they closed at 1am and there would be like 10-15 people sleeping in their cars, they would have suits in their cars and had nice cars but had to choose between car or house and you know you can't work without a car.

originally posted by: Edumakated
People aren't sleeping in their cars because of lack of affordable housing or because the economy isn't doing well.

If you peel back the onion, I would bet you'll see a huge connection to the opioid crisis. In other words, people are sleeping in their cars because they can't hold a job down due to their drug addiction.

If that is true, it has had a perverse effect on the ‘real’ unemployment rate: Fed Chairman: Opioids and Male Labor Force

Whether they can hold a job because of addiction isn’t really up for debate — it’s fairly clear they can’t — but the price of housing definitely has a correlation, if not direct causation, to these ares with increased “car homes”. Those municipalities with increased car homes aren’t areas with a higher incidence of those afflicted by the Opioid/Opiate Epidemic...Ohio and West Virginia come to mind.

originally posted by: TonyS
a reply to: Willtell

Don't need to wake me up! I'm only too well aware of this problem.

Thing is however, its not a political problem, its a structural problem or perhaps numerous structural problems. And no, it isn't going to get fixed. The real truth is that every year going forward there will be fewer and fewer "middle class" jobs. Nothing anybody can do about that. Basically, if you can't "code" or become a doctor or a lawyer, you're going to starve. And that's doubly true if you live in or near one of these major Urban areas. Two or three cab drivers commits suicide in NYC every month, if not more. Losing their jobs to Uber drivers who will end up losing their jobs to the autonomous cars running about.

And no, no damned Democrat or Republican is going to solve this.

And just imagine how bad it will be in the next "Great Recession"! It'll make the Great Depression look like a Tupper Ware party!

I totally agree with your sentiments.

You've got the best response.

a reply to: Kandinsky

I remember seeing homeless camps growing years ago and no one talked about it.

Yeah, there are growing homeless communities and unemployment is still high and life still sucks for some.

Life often does suck, life often is hard, and not everyone gets a home, a car, and a happy ending.

And I know this still shocks some people.

a reply to: BeefNoMeat

Zurich has figured it out (at least for their community) They even have herion users stabilized and working. Addiction is a relative term. Our ignoring and imprisoning as a response is as much a problem as the drug itself.

a reply to: Willtell



"You can live in Your car but can't drive Your house"

Everything evolves and in some cases things get downsized and in this case it was the "mobile home"... Some that are Outdoors actually want it that way. Many that I had contact with wanted anything that wasn't where they came from. If they had a snippy 'homelife' as a child, then either their 'sub-conscious' or 'other than conscious' minds will do it's best to avoid anything like that.

There are a myriad of reasons "why?" Next time You come in-contact w/someone who is currently "Outdoors" ask them..

"You can't help everyone but everyone can help someone..."

Stay Hydrated...

originally posted by: pointessa

originally posted by: Willtell
LI NK

One of the biggest lies going around now is that the economy is booming.

If the U.S. economy is really doing so well, then why is homelessness rising so rapidly? As the gap between the rich and the poor continues to increase, the middle class is steadily eroding. In fact, I recently gave my readers 15 signs that the middle class in America is being systematically destroyed.
More Americans are falling out of the middle class and into poverty with each passing day, and this is one of the big reasons why the number of homeless is surging. For example, the number of people living on the street in L.A. has shot up 75 percent over the last 6 years. But of course L.A. is far from alone.

This article is good but deceptive like much of the information regarding the US economy.
The people he refers to as middle class who are going out of the middle class into poverty weren’t the middle class in the first place, they were LOWER middle class.

He’s actually referring to the people salaried at the mid-range of the LOWER middle class that is 50 grand to about 100 thousand in gross yearly salary. That group is indeed being squeezed into poverty and onto a job at Burger King.

The reason why this distinction is important is that the vast population believing the LIE they are middle class is a way to convince people that everything is alright and you’re doing fine at a middle class, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 100, plus thousand and up dollars a year salary.

But if you understand that you’re NOT middle class and already near to poverty and homelessness people might finally WAKE UP and start demanding a share of the wealth of the country

The middle class, in reality, is 200,000 dollars a year salary minimum.

The lower middle class is 35 thousand to about 180, 000 a year…the 20 thousand to 200 thousand is like a buffer zone between the lower middle class and actual middle class.

That said, nonetheless, this article points out that the American economy IS NOT doing great as the amount of homelessness is increasing nationwide. Now certainly the economy is doing great for the stock market class, the 1 percent and 9 to 20 percent, that is the upper and true middle-class people, the lower middle class and lower class has been duped, abandoned, tricked, deceived, and lied to into permanent poverty and near serfdom.

Other major cities on the West Coast are facing similar problems, and that includes Seattle. It turns out that the Emerald City has seen a 46 percent rise in the number of people sleeping in their vehicles in just the past year…
The number of people who live in their vehicles because they can’t find affordable housing is on the rise, even though the practice is illegal in many U.S. cities.
The number of people residing in campers and other vehicles surged 46 percent over the past year, a recent homeless census in Seattle’s King County, Washington found. The problem is “exploding” in cities with expensive housing markets, including Los Angeles, Portland and San Francisco, according to Governing magazine.
Amazon, Microsoft and other big tech companies are in the Seattle area. It is a region that is supposedly “prospering”, and yet this is going on.
Sadly, it isn’t just major urban areas that are seeing more people sleeping in their vehicles. Over in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, many of the homeless sleep in their vehicles even in the middle of winter…

I am truly tired of hearing about the goddam lie that the economy is going great... IT IS NOT GOING GREAT. Not for the TRUE middle class or lower middle class or the lower class.

Salaries are going down and stagnant, as they have been for decades

WAKE UP!

I am calling you out on the numbers you quoted. Two hundred thousand dollars a year, minimum to be called middle class? What a bunch of bunk. The only place that may be remotely true is in places like San Francisco. Where did you get your information, please quote some sources.

Yes, I do agree there are lot's of people living in their cars or RV's. The local Walmart parking lot is full of them. Many of us are one paycheck away from joining them. There are many factors conspiring against the working middle class: health care, housing costs, stagnating wages. Our government seems to be more concerned with the "rights of illegal immigrants than it does for citizens that have paid into this system for their entire lives. (The last statement is my opinion, for what it's worth).

That’s where the deception and scam come in.

You learn in sociology classes that the class distinctions in America are all wrong.

The grunts making 50 60 70 80, 90, 100 grand, auto workers, Plumbers, PC specialists, even engineers are NOT middle class.

That’s where the ignorant people who think they're doing so well, they say, “Oh I’m middle class”
YOUR NOT middle class Your LOWER middle class

Sure 130 grand to 200 grand a year is the upper level of the lower middle class and reaches the lower boundary of the middle class but it’s still lower middle class. And certainly, the 100 grand down to 50 is lower middle class.

originally posted by: BeefNoMeat

originally posted by: Edumakated
People aren't sleeping in their cars because of lack of affordable housing or because the economy isn't doing well.

If you peel back the onion, I would bet you'll see a huge connection to the opioid crisis. In other words, people are sleeping in their cars because they can't hold a job down due to their drug addiction.

If that is true, it has had a perverse effect on the ‘real’ unemployment rate: Fed Chairman: Opioids and Male Labor Force

Whether they can hold a job because of addiction isn’t really up for debate — it’s fairly clear they can’t — but the price of housing definitely has a correlation, if not direct causation, to these ares with increased “car homes”. Those municipalities with increased car homes aren’t areas with a higher incidence of those afflicted by the Opioid/Opiate Epidemic...Ohio and West Virginia come to mind.

Functioning adults who live in high cost areas have room mates or move to other areas that aren't as expensive. They rarely live in their cars or homeless shelters.

I'm not saying there aren't a minute number of examples where someone who is gainfully employed AND not strung out on drugs or other issues doesn't find themselves without a place to stay. However, in those circumstances, more often than not, they crash on someone's sofa, etc TEMPORARILY. It isn't a permanent or long term situation. These are hardly normal situations for functioning adults.

Like I said, peel back the onion, and I guarantee you will see other issues as to why someone is sleeping in their car.

If I did't have a family, I'd be homeless right now on purpose....

I want to sell all my sh* t and get an Airstream and just roam the country enjoying the National Parks and other interesting places in the US.

a reply to: Edumakated

I would agree with the exception of some areas. Like the state of California. Where your friends have a 2 bedroom $800k house and you have a family. Even 20 years ago when I lived there people lived in camp grounds. Also because it's temperate and beautiful. I chose to have roommates but didn't have a car.

a reply to: DBCowboy

I haven't seen so many homeless in my life. They're everywhere. Life has never been fair, no, perhaps this isn't 'life' and more to do with our economic system.

It's got f*** all to do with Trump on that I feel certain.

I’m telling you before the 80’s the economy was evolving positively. But they deliberately started to depress the Lower middle class to penury over time starting with Reagan’s huge tax cuts for the rich and union busting.
Now we're in an era where the small guy has little future.
Just look at the fact that even IF you get out of college they strap you with a 30 to 50 grand loan you have to deal with as you go into the workforce!

What the # is that?

In the 50, 60’s 70, even 80's a person could work themselves through college; not anymore

They’ve truly rigged the system where people will not ever be able to relax and enjoy life.

The 90's found the PC boom where this present austerity they planned we have today was delayed.

Now UNLESS we wake up soon we'll be permanent slaves without a future.

Europe was evolving to a better future until the globalist started their austerity crap, following America's lead.

What could happen IF people weren’t so brainwashed is that for example we could nationalize the real estate industry and give people FREE lodging

Imagine living without this rent or mortgage over your head forever.

We need to get creative...

We don’t need a guaranteed salary we need to just intervene and do creative things like nationalizing real estate where people could live rent free practically.

a reply to: Willtell

There is also some blame on the consumers. You don't need a new iPhone x. Or a new car every 3 years, leasing, interest rates etc drive bad investments. Today people get their kids $1000 dollar phones and 75 dollar data plans.

It's hard to judge up or down sometimes because of people's materialism.

Without wage growth, we are destined to see an ever-growing homeless population. The housing market and rental increases far outrun the wage growth. However, with unemployment at its lowest in many years the demand for skilled workers are swelling so as an optimist i how to see wages take off. Another aspect is urban sprawl and the cost of living in some of these places.

a reply to: olaru12

I agree that the economy is not all it's chalked up to be and there are those who just can't get a break.

I also think the opiate epidemic and generational poverty are contributing to the problem

All these positive poll numbers put out by the Trumps WH is fake news. You can't trust government statistics!

Funny how the unemployment rate was fake when he was campaigning, but not is toting the unemployment rate.

Also how the stock market was in a bubble back in Summer/Fall of 2016 (pre election), but now it's a talking point.

All politicians do it, but Trump is no different. Criticize the numbers when it suits them, but then try to exaggerate or capitalize on the lie once they're in office and it benefits them

originally posted by: Kandinsky
a reply to: DBCowboy

I haven't seen so many homeless in my life. They're everywhere. Life has never been fair, no, perhaps this isn't 'life' and more to do with our economic system.

It's got f*** all to do with Trump on that I feel certain.

I agree. And maybe we have more homeless now, or are we just noticing it now?