Reuters ran a story on it back in December of 2007 about the growth of the city from the original 20 homeless people to more than 200. They attributed the growth to the housing crisis if not directly then indirectly. Foreclosures have caused rental units to be in short supply and the trickle down effect has caused the eviction of these people from apartments and motels.

“They don’t hit the streets immediately,” said activist Jane Mercer. Most families can find transitional housing in a motel or with friends before turning to charity or the streets. “They only hit tent city when they really bottom out.”

Steve, 50, who declined to give his last name, moved to tent city four months ago. He gets social security payments, but cannot work and said rents are too high.

“House prices are going down, but the rentals are sky-high,” said Steve. “If it wasn’t for here, I wouldn’t have a place to go.”

The latest news from the Los Angeles Times on Tent City is that the city of Ontario decided to partially close it down and limit it to only people with ties or family in Ontario. The Ontario police went in at the end of March and evicted the majority of the inhabitants. The city had grown from 20 to 400 in just a few short months, some from as far away as Florida. The 130 people who will be allowed to remain have been issued id cards to allow them access.

“Gina Worges, 47, has family in Ontario and was able to stay, but her boyfriend had to leave.

“I’m staying because I got no place else to go,” said Worges, who was evicted from a house after not being able to pay rent. “My daughter is . . . flying a sign on Citrus Avenue asking for money.”

Worges’ daughter, Nancy McAbee, 21, gave birth last month to a girl whom she put into foster care. McAbee still lives in Tent City.

Worges’ boyfriend, who could not prove an Ontario link, took her two dogs and moved back beneath an overpass along the 10 Freeway in Bloomington.

Robert Zepeda, 22, is also staying in Tent City. His girlfriend is eight months pregnant and lay quietly inside a sweltering tent on Monday.”

News like this is not something that I write on very often but the similarities between these people and the pictures from Shorpey’s of the Great Depression really hit me. There is not much difference between the pictures above and this picture from Shorpey.

What surprises me is that there are people who will look at the pictures, read the article and get angry. They will claim that most of these people are in Tent City because of their own poor planning and mistakes. Frankly, it’s probably true but I would point out that the same might be said for the people in 1936.

I have realized over the past year that sometimes bad things happen to good people. I have also realized how fortunate I have been in the opportunities that I have had in my life and that perhaps these folks didn’t have the same opportunities for education and employment.

How do you feel about Tent City? Do you think it’s a sign of the times or the press sensationalizing something that has been going on for years?

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These are just two photos from 22 pages of similar ones. The first is of a family of 9 living in a one room shack in a field in Tennessee. The second is a family in Elm Grove, Ok. Both photos were taken in 1936. Clicking on the photos will take you to the full size version at Shorpy.

I think that I am going to ask my parents if they have pictures from that time. I know my mother has my grandmother’s photo albums. It should prove interesting. I think that when times get tough, I am going to take a look at these again and remember just how well off I am.

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