Welcome to America .......This is America Refugees

Welcome to Slab City: Inside the Californian military base turned alternative community flourishing in the wake of the housing crisis

By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 08:59 EST, 20 March 2012 | UPDATED: 09:47 EST, 20 March 2012
 This is the former military base turned alternative community now home to almost 2,000 people including jobless and financially struggling recession refugees who can no longer pay for food and housing. 

Although from the outside it looks nothing more than a rag tag collection of RVs, ramshackle buildings and scruffy tents , Slab city has developed into a complex community with cafes and restaurants, a nightclub, a library and even a golf course.

It takes its name from the giant concrete slabs it is built on. All that's left of the World War II training camp where a group of servicemen decided to stay put after it was decommissioned at the end of the war.

Many of the residents, known as snowbirds, only come for the winter months before heading back up north where the weather is cooler.

It is a place on the fringe both geographically and philosophically. Of the hundred or so permanent residents, most have been forced to live there through poverty and survive on social security.

An old checkpoint, now painted as a welcome sign, marks the route to Slab City, a former Californian military base that was closed after World War II

A truck converted into an art installation sits in the settlement just outside Niland, California

More...

• Monument to a troubled past: Inside the enormous crumbling communist HQ Bulgaria cannot afford to maintain or demolish

Installation: A sign for a Slab City sculpture garden called East Jesus. The community is home to almost 2,000 people including jobless and financially struggling recession refugees who can no longer pay for food and housing

Monument The 'Salvation Mountain' built out of hay, wood and old tryes by longtime resident Leonard Knight marks the entrance to the city

Residents chat over a bite to eat. Slab City has become a mecca for people who have lost their jobs or who are struggling financially as a result of the recession

Facilities: Although from the outside it looks nothing more than a collection of RVs, Slab city has several cafe and restaurants, a nightclub and even a library

Longterm resident Jeff sits by his trailer. He counts the days with bottles with every passing day represented by an empty bottle of wine

Mark is one of the many residents known as Snowbirds, who head south to Slab City for the winter months

Siblings Timothy, Zack and Casey Spyder, hang out in their campsite. Many entire families have been forced to move to the community as a result of the recession

Friends: 'Princess' Stephanie (left) talks to another woman over dinner at the Karma Kafe

Close knit: A group of residents meet over dinner at the Karma Kafe

Fore: The community even has its own golf course known as Gopher Flats

Online: Frank, the owner of one of Slab City's internet cafes, looks on as a couple hook up their computer

Another resident Mickel smokes a cigarette sitting round a campfire

Smoke: Long-term resident

Pose: The colourfully named Jack 'Two Horses' sits at his campsite

Jack Two Horses (left) and 'Purple' while away the hours by Jack's campsite

Midnight blaze: Jack 'Two Horses' stands at his campfire

Two men talk near a trash can fire

Law: A deputy with the Imperial County Sheriff talks to a man who was bathing nude at a hot spring

Pet cemetery: A wooden headstone marks the resting place of one resident's cherished companion

Dinner time: Tracy 'Magenta' Ross (left) along with another resident and Don chat over a meal

Embrace: Tracy 'Magenta' Moss hugs internet cafe owner Frank

Twilight: Rob Walker kisses girlfriend Dayna Lambert as Walker's son Andy walks toward their campsite

Don (left) talks to Frank over a few beers outside the internet cafe

Beer we go: A can of lager in an Slab City drinks cooler

Bath time: A man takes a dip in the hot springs

Grooming: A man shaves in the city's hot spring

Randy Stevenson poses for the camera in the midday sun

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2117488/Welcome-Slab-City-Inside-Californian-military-base-turned-alternative-community.html#ixzz1piQTNIsH

Are you reading this Obama The Tent City of New Jersey

Are you reading this Obama ... YOU caused them to live this way. They lost their jobs because of YOU Obama There will be thousands more to add to this OBAMA! Give more money to your Islamic Countries Your beloved Muslims. Step down you lousy President. I bet you are letting the good times roll in the White House

The Tent City of New Jersey: Desperate victims of the economic slump forced to live in makeshift homes in forest

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 4:55 PM on 1st August 2011

In scenes reminiscent of the Great Depression these are the ramshackle homes of the desperate and destitute U.S. families who have set up their own 'Tent City' only an hour from Manhattan.
More than 50 homeless people have joined the community within New Jersey's forests as the economic crisis has wrecked their American dream.
And as politicians in Washington trade blows over their country's £8.8 trillion debt, the prospect of more souls joining this rag tag group grows by the day.
Building their own tarpaulin tents, Native American teepees and makeshift balsa wood homes, every one of the Tent City residents has lost their job.

Destitute: Charlie Errickson, 54, sat eating his lunch outside his shelter as he struggles to survive

Welcome to Tent City: The community where ever person has lost their job and home because of the U.S. financial crisis

These people have been reduced to living on handouts from the local church and friendly restaurants and the community is a sad look at troubles caused as the world's most powerful country struggles with its finances.
'We have been in and out of the camp for a year,' said ex-hotel worker Burt Haut, 43, who lives with his wife, ex-teacher Barbara, 48 in a tent styled like a teepee from the Old West.
'Our financial difficulties since the credit crisis three years ago have caused us to camp on public ground, at the back of churches and down the backs of closed down stores.
'We have had help from our friends and family, but we have run that well dry.

More...

• Middle classes to be hit by tax increase by the back door: Obama and Boehner face furious backlash from their own parties as last minute debt deal is slammed a 'fudge'
• The room in a box: A crate idea that cuts moving time and storage in half
• The US deficit clash could result in another credit crunch for Britain

'We are trying to get back on our feet and with help from the camp leadership we hope to get back onto a social security scheme or help with some assisted housing.'
Ravaged by the loss of their jobs and their homes, the residents of Tent City struggle to get by without day-to-day luxuries that we take for granted such as food on the table and a roof over their heads.
Ex-minister Steve Brigham, 50, runs Tent City, which consists of a dirt road running through a two-acre encampment which has flowerpots laid out front of proud tents and homes.
Functioning as near to a normal town as possible, Tent City is governed by democratic rules agreed by all the residents.
They all must agree to no fighting, to clean the camp, to volunteer their time when they have it, and to most importantly keep the noise down after 10pm.

Getting by: Elwood Hires, 39, and Cynthia Berlinger, 33, inside their recently completed makeshift shelter in the woods

The camp is currently involved in a legal battle with local Ocean County authorities which wants to remove the camp and the case has gone all the way to New Jersey Superior Court.
Steve and the community of Tent City want Ocean County to provide a purpose built shelter for the homeless and are working with a local lawyer working who works for free.
'This is a place to recover, to dry out, to get back on your feet to help to re-enter the world,' said minister Steve who was ordained eight years ago but has given up all his possessions to live in poverty with the growing community in Tent City.
'We have a petrol-powered generator that heats up the water for the shower and lets us wash up dishes after donated meals.
'We have pet chickens which are not for eggs, they are to eat the ticks that could make us feel very ill with Lyme disease or a blood infection.

'It is a racially diverse community with Mexicans, Polish, Irish, African American and white people.
'There are eight women living here too, which was a problem in the past, but has now made the camp more calm by their presence.
'The struggle for every day existence here makes us realise how lucky we are when we have our homes and our lives all in front of us with our televisions and microwave meals.'

Ramshackle: This home looks barely able to stand up but still houses a homeless person, who has also brought their car to the community

Even though the camp has relied heavily on the ingenuity of Steve and his able helpers, keeping hope alive in Tent City is his toughest task.
'We have a working chapel here that is built out of recovered wood and a tarpaulin roof,' explained Steve.
'In summer we perform the service outside in a circle laid out with chopped tree bases as seats.
'It is not a requirement to come to a service, but spirituality and hope can help these people who have hit their darkest hours.'
One couple who have lived for over a year in the camp are Elwood and Cynthia, who have both built there own cabin complete with functioning door and even have got themselves a sofa.
'We have upgraded from our tarpaulin tent to a balsa wood one, which should help us in the winter in case the snow weighs down our roof,' Elwood said.
'Hopefully in the summer too the temperature wont be so hot as well.
'Every help we get from Steve puts us that bit further on the path to a social security cheque or a government assisted housing scheme.
'I used to work cleaning for a local restaurant and Cynthia used to be a waitress.'
For Burt and Barbara the care that they receive here is preferable to living on benefits provided by the Government.

Nowhere to go: Homeless Burt Haut, 43 and his wife Barbara Haut, 48 outside their makeshift shelter in the tent city in the woods in Lakewood, New Jersey

'The care and community offered by the Tent City is wonderful,' said Burt.
'It is just like getting back to nature and it makes you realise that all our wonderful appliances like microwaves, telephones and even cars are not essential.
'Food, shelter and water is what you need and is what we get here.'
One member of the motley crew who lives in Tent City claims to be the nephew of country great Johnny Cash.
'I used to be a guitarist and played at BB Kings' club in New York City,' said Mark.
'But my girlfriend left me, I lost my home and I travelled round Toms River near here sleeping rough.
'I was told about Tent City and minister Steve by a fellow homeless person and I walked down here and approached him for a space in his camp.
'It is like a family here and he helped me get set up with a camping tent and now I have friends and people to talk to, which I have not had since my life collapsed.
'My family can't seem to help me no more and I have accepted that every time that they have tried to I have let them down and failed to sort my life out.
'I don't know what I would do if I didn't have this place to live in.'

This is shower room that serves the tent city that the homeless people have made by drilling to the natural water table and then pumping it up to the heater so the residents can wash in the woods

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2021173/Americas-city-broken-dreams-50-jobless-destitute-people-set-forest-community-New-Yorks-doorstep.html#ixzz1TnrGOeBh