Tent Cities

The term tent city commonly describes groupings of homeless individuals camping in areas where camping would not normally be seen, such as under bridge overpasses, on railroad property, and in other seemingly abandoned spots. Tent cities are organized by and/or for homeless persons, and they exist legally and illegally across the United States. They are often compared to squatter settlements in developing countries, for instance, the favelas of São Paulo, Brazil. Unlike developing countries, though, U.S. authorities have been hesitant or unwilling to legally recognize tent cities as legitimate forms of urban dwelling. Concomitantly, U.S. research on tent cities as housing and/or urban form is vastly underdeveloped in comparison to research on squatter settlements outside the United States.

Tent cities range in size from two or three to hundreds of people. They are most well known along the Pacific Coast, particularly in Washington State, but they exist across the United States, regardless of climate. Contemporary U.S. tent cities have been addressed by the media as a result of the U.S. economic downturn and wave of foreclosures that came to public attention in 2008. However, many of the tent cities featured in media coverage existed before the housing crisis, and the majority of residents have not been identified as victims of the current crisis, indicating that tent cities have been a more permanent fixture in the U.S. housing landscape than has been publicly acknowledged. Sociologist Christopher Herring attributes the increase in visible, large-scale tent cities since 2000 to changes in federal and state governance, particularly a rise in incarceration rates, as well as a rise in punitive city ordinances that variously ban public camping, loitering, sitting or lying, and panhandling.

Tent cities, as one might expect, are often composed of tents, but residents creatively construct many other semipermanent structures to offer greater protection from the elements. Other structures commonly seen are lean-tos and shacks made of wood, metal, and other found materials. Housing and public health professionals generally classify tent cities as forms of substandard housing. The structures used in tent cities do not comply with zoning, building, or public health codes in municipalities. Many illegal tent cities maintain tents and other structures that are easily moved. Tent cities that enjoy city support or reprieve from punitive action have been able to establish more permanent structures. For instance, in Fresno, California, Village of Hope and Community of Hope utilize insulated sheds with two sleeping spaces per shed, with capacity for approximately 60 people per village. The villages are operated by Poverello House, a local nonprofit organization, and are sponsored by the City of Fresno.

Residents of tent cities celebrate tent cities for the freedom, autonomy, and dignity they provide. Residents contrast the self-affirming aspects of the tent city atmosphere with more traditional homeless shelter environments, where they report having difficulty maintaining a sense of safety, social support, or respect. Because many local homeless agencies consider their services to be a superior option to camping, groups who assert their rights to determine [Page 739]how they live attempt to shift the discussion of needs of homeless people from physical needs (roof over head, running water, food) to those of belonging, social support and self-esteem. Tent city residents challenge notions of “home” as housing, instead privileging mental and emotional aspects of home, such as sense of ownership, safety, and belonging.

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