When I lived in Arkansas as a child, we roamed the entire neighborhood.  We respected the property of others,  but there was a vacant house that we’d occasionally visit. It was open – I can’t remember if there was no door or if it was simply unlocked (it’s been a LONG time).  My sister and I would hang with our friends there just talking and laughing.  We stopped going, however, when we began to see evidence of someone squatting there.

Homeless people weren’t families or people who had a bad run of luck.  They were hobos or bums, people who rode train cars and were rough and tough.  They weren’t to be trifled with.  Maybe it’s because I’m an adult.  Maybe it’s the news or the internet.  But today we have a real sense of person behind the homeless face.  I met Kevin, a former homeless man in Nashville a couple of years ago.  I’m happy to see he’s found a safe place to live – a roof over his head.

Of course there are still homeless people who find a bridge or a tent to live in, or who depend on shelters.  But there are others who have become squatters. In their own homes – or what had been their homes.  On MSNBC.com today, I read about a family who’d been evicted.  They lived one weekend in a van, but returned to the home they’d lost.  Most of their belongings are in storage in case they’re again removed from the home.  They’ve tried to work with the bank to set up a payment plan,

She said the mortgage lender had offered the family $1,500 to leave but was unwilling to negotiate minimal payments that would allow them to stay. She said she and her husband had been looking for work since he lost his delivery job with The Miami Herald.

In the meantime, she said, “I still got knots in my stomach, because I don’t know when they’re going to come yank it back from me, when they’re going to put me back on the streets.”

When there are rows of vacant homes in some areas, it really shouldn’t come as a surprise to the companies holding mortgages that some are occupied.  In my own mind, due to liability and safety issues, I’d be working with these illegal tenants to see the house is preserved and cared for.

Photo from National Park Service.