Tent City in Detroit?! (Roosevelt Park, Yale: foreclosures, credit, house)

[Blue Grass Fever]

Took the family down to Mexicantown the other week-end and drove past the old Train Depot off of Michigan and noticed a few tents [around 20] in the grassy expanse near the depot.

The question is, has that been going on for awhile now? I've known it to be a hangout for the homeless but never seen tents situated there. Since the economy is getting bad, are the beaucrats letting "squatting" slide?

Anybody know anything about this?

[Nearborn]

That's "Hoover's Army". They've been there since the late 20's. We're waiting for Black Jack Pershing to kick them out.

[dre71]

Originally Posted by Blue Grass Fever

Took the family down to Mexicantown the other week-end and drove past the old Train Depot off of Michigan and noticed a few tents [around 20] in the grassy expanse near the depot.

The question is, has that been going on for awhile now? I've known it to be a hangout for the homeless but never seen tents situated there. Since the economy is getting bad, are the beaucrats letting "squatting" slide?

Anybody know anything about this?

It has gone on for a while but with the worsening economy and foreclosures the number of homeless throughtout the city has gone up.
Roosevelt park is filled with homeless. I started seeing tents there a while ago.
I don`t know if they are letting squatting slide but they don`t seem to be doing much about it.

[ocean2026]

Those are "Bush Bungalows". ( copyrighted by me lol term can not be reused without my express written consent )

[Frances Anderson]

Originally Posted by dre71

It has gone on for a while but with the worsening economy and foreclosures the number of homeless throughtout the city has gone up.
Roosevelt park is filled with homeless. I started seeing tents there a while ago.
I don`t know if they are letting squatting slide but they don`t seem to be doing much about it.

I am going to be traveling to Detroit over the summer for research and I am interested in photographing any "tent cities" there. Can you recommend some locations for me to visit? Is the one that you mentioned in your post in May 2008 still around?

[Jwo85]

I would just move into a abandon house that is not yet ready to collapse instead of living in a tent. Heck most of them have running water.

[Clarissa2010]

I just googled "Tent City Michigan" and got this site. I'm totally sickened by what I've read here because I have a friend who may have to move into the tent city.
Do you think for a moment that the people there WANT to be there? My friend is scared to death but planning ahead, asking about what to have for warmth.
As for moving into an abandoned house rather than live in a tent, most likely a destitute person would prefer an abandoned house but either can't find one or knows that that he or she would be kicked out as soon as being found.

Realize, please, that these people are totally destitute. Help them out, please. See what channels are available for helping them out. Is there a service agency with whom you could cooperate?

Does the place have a porta potty that people can use? How about food?

Think of how you would feel in such a situation. No money, no job, no family to you in. You're not better because you aren't in that situation. These people are our brothers and sisters and they could be you.

Before you reply that it's their fault because they're on drugs or whatever, know that tent cities are there for those that are not on drugs. You know something? These people with nothing don't want to be around the druggies either. They're scared. Wouldn't you be? Tent cities can be patrolled by police to keep the place safe.

I continue to be totally sickened by those who cast off these people they don't know. It's ignorance to the extreme. Helping them has a better chance of getting them back into the mainstream of society. Wouldn't that be better than having them freeze to death?


Clarissa2010.

[fmax]

Clarissa,

Let your friend move in with you.

[Clarissa2010]

Originally Posted by fmax

Clarissa,

Let your friend move in with you.

I live in Maine, my friend lives in Michigan. As a matter of record, I have had several people in need stay for a while in my house. The last ones, though, had something askew with them but I didn't know what. I evicted them. They were arrested for armed robbery within the week.

Your reply is an attempt to discredit what I said. I shouldn't have to justify what I said. It's still true that there are destitute people out there. Tent cities - real ones - are a way for them to at least have a space of their own that is safe.

Would you want to be so destitute? Be sure you realize that if it weren't for circumstances you would be in the same situation. People have things happen to them.
Some of the people the most critical of the poor are ones who have been poor. The think that they have risen up from poverty by their own power. Not so. Every single person who has managed to get out have had some kind of help, even if it's only a little.

Case in point ... a young healthy and good mother in our area became mentally ill. She wandered the streets and ate at the soup kitchen. She died young. Her mother left as much money as she could to the Hunger Prevention agency because she was grateful for the dignified way people cared for her daughter.

Another case in point ... a fairly young man (30's) used to walk a particular path from a room where he lived to downtown every day. There was obviously something very wrong with that man. Imagine people's surprise to learn that he was a Yale graduate, had had a good job but lost it and everything. He had family in the area who funded his room (a sister who had children of her own to feed and educate)

A medical doctor I know took a job way up in Northern Maine. He could stay in the hospital during his work time but couldn't otherwise. He set up a tent in the village green. People called the police about him but the chief knew him. He said "that's the doctor."


If the issue is that the tent city place is an eyesore, then work on that. The rotary club in our area takes care of the upkeep of the homeless shelter. No one can say that the house looks any different from any other house on the street. If the tents by the rr tracks are an eyesore, do something about it. See what you can do to get these people housing. Require that the place stay picked up, no trash. Have the police patrol it and not allow loud noises especially at night.

[ForStarters]

I don't think there is a tent city is in Roosevelt Park anymore. I've seen tents along the Lodge just outside of downtown, but since Roosevelt Park has undergone some positive transformation by Phil Cooley and the other Corktown residents, I don't think there is a homeless settlement there any more. At least, I haven't seen it. With winter coming, you gotta hope and pray those who have no home stay safe and warm.