'Castaways' in motor homes feel stranded on society's fringe, 4,545 rvs/campers on streets of LA
The 2017 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count tallied 4,545 campers and RVs in L.A. County that possibly serve as makeshift dwellings. In short, one of America’s least affordable housing market forces people to find creative alternatives for shelter.
I happened upon the situation about a year ago, trying to find a shortcut on my commute home. I exited the jammed 110 Freeway in South L.A., turning onto Broadway to a landscape dominated by warehouses and light industry. At 133rd Street, I noticed numerous motor homes, most in a state of disrepair, lining both sides of the road.
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Goins receives general relief assistance, which provides $200 in food stamps and $200 in cash every month. He said he supplements that by repairing and selling bicycles bartered or bought from others living on the street. He also recycles cans and bottles pulled from the trash.
“Sometimes I feel like we’re worse than homeless,” Goins said. “I think Sharon and I are destined for a change. There are just too many people living out here now. All the ordinances, all the laws, all the pressure from the police — it didn’t use to be like this. It’s impossible to live anymore.
“This is not a recreational vehicle,” he said. “This is our home. For this, we’re not accepted by society. We are castaways.”
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-rv-homeless-20180304-htmlstory.html
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