# tent cities in Cal. on BBC **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 18, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802 "2008-03-18T17:59:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/1 "2008-03-18T17:59:34Z")
> **[BBC NEWS | Americas | Tent city highlights US homes crisis](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7297093.stm)** > > The BBC's Rajesh Mirchandani reports on a California site for the homeless, among them victims of the US housing market collapse. The people who walked out,were foreclosed on or otherwise lost their homes are being reported on on the BBC. Tent cities are springing up , The BBC is highlighting the ones in California. i have seen nothing in the American press about this. Is there any coverage in your neck of the woods.? I see picnic tables propped up in the woods near my home in Dearborn Hgts ,Mi, I see cardboard and newspaper in the cracks. I haven’t seen any people around them though. Is this an under reported story ,ignored by our “press”.? ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/2 "2008-03-18T18:04:20Z")
The only coverage I’ve seen is the BBC story. Strange, because my parents live only a few miles from the tent city and they’ve never mentioned it. Dad’s coming to visit me tomorrow – I’ll ask him about it then. He’ll definitely know about it, as he flies out of ONT weekly, and would almost certainly drive by the tent city on the way to the airport – I recognized the area immediately when seeing the report, and I fly into ONT only once a year. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/3 "2008-03-18T18:07:09Z")
There are homeless people? In _America_? Why was I not informed about this! Seriosly, though: the OP needs to read his own cite, which specifically states that very few of the homeless people at that site are there because of the mortgage crises. Some are, sure, and that number’s likely to grow, but the “tent city” would still be there even if the bottom hadn’t fallen out of the housing market. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/4 "2008-03-18T18:08:02Z")
Well, the story talks of only one person who claims to be in that tent city due to foreclosure problems. I don’t see why that would merit any news coverage. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/5 "2008-03-18T19:31:08Z")
Yeah, the fact that folks have been homeless in large numbers for longer than a few months means it ain’t news. Nothing to report here. Move along. Tris ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/6 "2008-03-18T19:38:35Z")
[QUOTE=Triskadecamus] Yeah, the fact that folks have been homeless in large numbers for longer than a few months means it ain’t news. Nothing to report here. Move along. Tris [/QUOTE] Not sure if that’s serious or not, but I don’t think it is news in the way the OP is suggesting. There are homeless encampments all over the place, and they are reported on quite frequently. But they are not filled with people down on their luck because they had subprime loans and are now foreclosure victims. So no, tent cities are not “springing up” (per the OP) in response to the subprime crisis. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/7 "2008-03-18T20:05:57Z")
Wow, a misleading thread started by \*\*gonzomax \*\* on the basis of an article he apparently didn’t read or understand? Now that is unprecedented! ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/8 "2008-03-18T20:35:32Z")
That was a stupid criticism. The one man was chosen as representative. One man in a report does not mean he is only one . It would not be a story then. IHe represents more, and that is clearly the implication ,that was beyond you, it is a story. Not in America but other places might cover it better, ---
**Author:** ![Renob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8c91f0/32.png) [@Renob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renob)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/9 "2008-03-18T20:44:13Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] That was a stupid criticism. The one man was chosen as representative. One man in a report does not mean he is only one . It would not be a story then. IHe represents more, and that is clearly the implication ,that was beyond you, it is a story. Not in America but other places might cover it better, [/QUOTE] Wow. Do you even read your links or is it too difficult for you to comprehend them: > [@BBC story posted by gonzomax](#): > > There are thousands like him across California - people whose inability to finance their mortgages has cost them their homes; many thousands more across the US. > > But in Tent City, at least, he is in a minority - few are here as a direct result of the housing crash. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/10 "2008-03-18T20:46:53Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] That was a stupid criticism. The one man was chosen as representative. One man in a report does not mean he is only one . It would not be a story then. IHe represents more, and that is clearly the implication ,that was beyond you, it is a story. Not in America but other places might cover it better, [/QUOTE] The implication, unfortunetly, being undercut by the explicit statements in the report that he is, in fact, just one man, and is not representative of the vast majority of the homeless in that camp. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/11 "2008-03-18T20:48:03Z")
Well, perhaps it was meant to imply that there were more. But implying something doesn’t make it true, does it? Can you think of some political figures who use this tactic…to state a true fact that implies a false conclusion from that fact? What do you think of people who engage in that sort of propaganda? Implying something doesn’t mean it’s true, does it? Yes, there are tent cities of homeless people in America. If you assert that these tent cities are growning rapidly due to the home mortgage crisis, then you can’t just imply it, you have to show some evidence, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/12 "2008-03-18T20:59:45Z")
[QUOTE=Sophistry and Illusion] Wow, a misleading thread started by gonzomax on the basis of an article he apparently didn’t read or understand? Now that is unprecedented! [/QUOTE] You pretty much nailed it on the first try. Gonzo rarely (read: never) actually READS his own cites (let alone the ones presented back to him to refute his ridiculous claims). It’s obvious that he wants there to be hundred, thousands, maybe tens of thousands of homeless people/victims from the recent housing melt down…so he is going to read that part of the article and nothing else. Actually READING the article we see this: > [@](#): > > But word spread and now some 300 people live here. It has an air of scruffy permanence, and indeed, city officials say there are no current plans to close it down. Word has spread and Tent City is up to a population of 300…in CALIFORNIA! One of the most populous states in the union! If the projected population doubles or even triples it’s not even a blip on the radar for gods sake! Hell, if it goes up an order of magnitude it will only just start to register. We also read this: > [@](#): > > Others told tales of family disputes or houses burning down. Some were addicts, some fresh out of prison. Tragic…not taking away from that. And homelessness IS a problem…not taking away from that either. But we aren’t going to see mass refugee camps due to the housing melt down either…which is what the OP is angling for with this. And here is the crux… > [@](#): > > ‘Home or food’ > > But one man, who did not give his name, said he and his family were living in Tent City because they were victims of America’s foreclosure crisis. It came down to “feeding my family or keeping the house”, he said, “so I got rid of the house”. > [@](#): > > Yet it is in an area known as the Inland Empire, where the rate of foreclosure is the third highest in the entire US. And yet, out of 300 folks in Tent City this eagle eyed reporter found…one man. Maybe that will double by next month and there will be TWO men! :eek: > [@](#): > > But in Tent City, at least, he is in a minority - few are here as a direct result of the housing crash. Just wait though! -XT ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/13 "2008-03-18T21:19:21Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] That was a stupid criticism. The one man was chosen as representative. One man in a report does not mean he is only one . It would not be a story then. IHe represents more, and that is clearly the implication ,that was beyond you, it is a story. Not in America but other places might cover it better, [/QUOTE] No, he doesn’t represent more until you actually find more. He also refused to give his name, and there is no evidence that the reporter confirmed his story, so we don’t even know if this one instance is correct. This thread is a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/14 "2008-03-18T21:24:36Z")
And unless it actually reflects the current news cycle’s story of current interest, it is not newsworthy. Move along, now. No story here. Tris ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/15 "2008-03-18T21:40:41Z")
It would be kind to call this type of article shoddy journalism. The author leads off with a headline that says “Tent city highlights US homes crisis”. Then he opens with a discussion of the current mortgage foreclosure problems and all he has to show to justify his title is one anonymous person in a tent city who claims to be homeless due to a foreclosure, but about whom he offers no evidence that the claim is true other than his say-so. What a piece of crap. Now, it could be that the mortgage crisis has led, or will lead to, increased homelessness in the US. But this article doesn’t give us any reliable evidence of that. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/16 "2008-03-18T21:46:42Z")
[QUOTE=Triskadecamus] And unless it actually reflects the current news cycle’s story of current interest, it is not newsworthy. Move along, now. No story here. Tris [/QUOTE] Yes, because it isn’t as if anyone has [actually attempted](http://www.examiner.com/a-708329~Newsom_seeks_new_homeless_funds.html) to address the problem, and it certainly hasn’t received national news. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/17 "2008-03-19T12:45:59Z")
I heard about this place, and didn’t see any particular link to the whole house repossession thing. These kinds of refuges are all over. However, though they may not be because of the mortgage problems, they still represent other serious economic problems. I met a vet just yesterday who ended up in a place like that, because he has some kind of back disease, and couldn’t continue working (in construction). Fortunately for him he can go to the VA hospital, and might be retrained to do some kind of desk job. But many don’t have that option, and they’re not all just drug addicts who want to be homeless. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/18 "2008-03-19T15:10:17Z")
People are being foreclosed out of their homes. Families are being tossed out. Have you wasted any thought into what happens to them. The joke is your blinders that that keep you from looking around and seeing what real damage has been done to families. Never waste time thinking about kids in the street. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/19 "2008-03-19T15:30:18Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] People are being foreclosed out of their homes. Families are being tossed out. Have you wasted any thought into what happens to them. The joke is your blinders that that keep you from looking around and seeing what real damage has been done to families. Never waste time thinking about kids in the street. [/QUOTE] If you want to argue about that, why not link to a news story about that instead of linking to a bullshit story and falsely implying that evictees are creating tent cities. The problem is not our blinders; the problem is your apparent inability to actually read anything you link to. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802/20 "2008-03-19T15:30:36Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] People are being foreclosed out of their homes. Families are being tossed out. Have you wasted any thought into what happens to them. [/QUOTE] Sure. But you haven’t given us any information about what is actually happening-- just speculation about what might happen. When you have some actual information, please do share it with us. Until then, this thread is still a joke. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tent-cities-in-cal-on-bbc/441802.md?page=2)