Camper trailers become symbol of wealthy California’s housing crisis
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – When Tamara Hernandez faced a landlord who would raise her rent sharply, she opted to live in a campervan. Beau Beard, who lost everything after getting out of prison, also lives in a campervan.
Situations like theirs are now common in California, also known as the “Golden State”. Campervans and camper trailers, once a symbol of the unfettered life by the sea, increasingly reflect the less glamorous reality of California, which has a housing crisis and more and more people can’t afford to live under a real roof.
In wealthy California, the number of homeless people actually accounts for 1/3 of all homeless people in the United States. The wealth of California, if it were a country, would be the 5th largest economy in the world. But according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, there are more than 75,000 homeless in Los Angeles County alone.
The same statistical report also showed that more and more homeless people are living in campers, camper trailers, vans or cars. Although the exact number of these people is difficult to grasp, in Los Angeles and surrounding towns, this kind of living has formed makeshift camps.
Beard’s camper was parked on a narrow road near Venice Beach, a touristy downtown area in Los Angeles. “That’s all I can afford,” he said, pointing to the car.
In June of this year, the average rent in Los Angeles was as high as US$2,950 (approximately NT$92,300) per month.
After Beard was released from prison nearly 8 years ago, he moved to California to seek a new start in life, but things did not go as smoothly as expected. He pointed out that in addition to soaring rents, the problem is “can’t find jobs”. He is 57 years old, and most people are not willing to hire him.
In 2020, after Beard’s girlfriend became pregnant, he bought the camper van as a family home. But the child was taken away by city officials shortly after birth on the grounds that the baby could not live in such a poor environment.
“It was the worst experience of my life,” Beard said.
He said the campervan not only led to his daughter being taken away, but also put him in a gray area that could deny him the chance to apply for housing assistance.
“They say we’re not really homeless, but we’re homeless,” Beard explained. “So when it comes to applying for assistance like housing, we’re at the bottom of the list.”
His campervan was parked along Jefferson Boulevard, which surrounds the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve, where a row of makeshift family cars had been parked, despite a “No Parking” sign next to it. Many of these cars have been parked here for a long time, and even developed their own unique decorations, as well as small gardens, tables and chairs, and stoves for cooking. Some people also have dogs.
Residents here come from the United States, Europe and Latin America. They are like a community, with rules of conduct and mutual support.
However, everyday life here is grueling. Hernandez, who works as a makeup artist, said: “If you want to do something, you have to go through 10 steps.” For example, she needs to take a shower, and it takes an hour to heat enough water.
Hernandez originally lived in an apartment near Venice Beach, but her rent soared from US$450 to US$3,000 (approximately NT$93,900) in 10 years, forcing her to quit the rent.
Along with the hassle in Hernandez’s life now, there’s the stress of feeling looked down upon, or worse. “I don’t know why they hate us. It’s ridiculous. We’re good people,” she said.
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2023-07-22 15:35:02
