Sunday, October 19, 2008

ECONOMY-US: No Joy in Hooverville


NEW YORK, Oct 17 (IPS) - With a massive spike in the number of foreclosures and evictions over the past two years, communities throughout the U.S. have witnessed the sprouting of tent cities -- many of them home to once middle-class citizens fallen victim to the economic downturn.

Encampments have formed in or near large urban areas including Reno, Los Angeles, Chattanooga, Columbus, St. Petersburg, Seattle and Portland.

"[Starting] about four years ago, there has been an outbreak of tent cities popping up across the country. Today, we observe a slow but steady increase in homeless people," Michael Stoops, acting executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCFTH), told IPS......."

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