Homeless living in cars
chases them. As soon as the patrol leaves, the homeless return to their benches. Last winter Mayor Guiliani had the homeless picked up off the streets and from the parks and brought to the shelters.
Another place some homeless frequent are all night laundries. They sleep sitting up in chairs. If any one suspects, they simply say they are waiting for their laundry.
Thalman refers to a book written by A.J. Haim, "Car Living Your Way." It is a guide for those who live in their cars. The author interviewed many people in this situation. She found that those who came from areas with a long commute were so used to being in their cars, they were more comfortable living in their cars than going to a shelter.
There also is a matter of cost. A young woman in her twenties found herself homeless after her boyfriend kicked her out. She was temporarily living in her car while attending Manchester Community College. "Why don't you go to the town shelter?" I asked. "I'm better than that," she replied. "At least you'd have a bed," I offered. She shook her head vehemently. "The rules are too strick. Everyone has to be in the shelter by 7p.m. I need to use the library to study. It's easier living in my car."
The high-tech industry has been hardest hit with the recession. There are MBAs living in their cars as a transition. They aren't sure where they want to go, or where they'll work. So they rent a mail box, use their laptops or the library computers to type their resumes. They don't want to be hampered by the expense or the committment of an apartment until they know where they'll work permanently.
States with mild weather see the most car living. Some people, even after finding a job continue to live in their vehicles for months. They use public facilities such as a college gym for showers. This gives them an opportunity to save money for a really decent apartment. And if they don't like the job, they are free to move on to another place with no lease to worry about.
The worst states for auto living are those in the North where winters can be brutal. Police have been sent out to rescue people from their vehicles before they froze to death. They are not arrested, but brought to city shelters. Unfortunately, some of the places social services provides are worse
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