Foreclosures Crashing Dreams Of The Middle Class As They Join The Homeless Ranks
October 30th, 2008
Foreclosures are crashing the dreams of the middle class as many of them are now joining the ranks of the homeless. Colin, a graduate from Westmont College, is one of the many. As a father and an entrepreneur he had realized the American dream. But all that turned into a nightmare when his business dealing with importing coffee beans began to slump and the house in which he was tenant fell into foreclosure. Colin is in his late thirties. He introspects that suddenly life has totally changed and knotty. Colin said, “My experience is far more widespread than I think people would like to admit. And we may not have seen the worst of it as yet.”
The pundits opine that as foreclosures march on with the global economy being affected, the character of homelessness is changing. In the past few months the shelter managers and government have noticed that there are many middle-class professionals among the ranks of the homeless seeking shelter with their families.
Los Angeles has become the homeless capital of America. Here realtors, lawyers, businesspersons, medical students and other educated people are rushing to the shelters after having lost their houses and jobs thanks to the raging foreclosure crisis. There has been a 66% increase in shelter seekers in The Burbank Temporary Aid Center since the last few months. Barbara Howell is the executive director. She said half of these calls are from the middle class. One of them was a writer in Hollywood who had been unable to get work since the last strike of 100 days in spring this year. Having lost his house he is now camping inside his SUV.
The Union Rescue Mission is also noticing in an increase in the number of professionals and other middle class folks seeking help, noted its president Andy Bales. Even former mission doctors are flocking to the shelter. He added, “We had another donor… who was so depressed at the prospect of becoming homeless that she committed suicide before she kept her appointment with us.”
Another victim of the foreclosure times is Carolyn Jones who is 47 and the mother of three. She is a volunteer and donor of the Union Rescue Mission. She ran into trouble when her husband was robbed while on the way to pay the rent. Crime has greatly increased since the surfeit in abandoned foreclosed houses – these having become havens for the anti-socials.
- Florida Courts are Overwhelmed by Foreclosure Cases as Justices Mull Over Solutions
- Spurt in Sales of Foreclosed Properties
- Foreclosure Climate Changes Spirit of Competition to Cooperation Among Contractors
- Bouncing Cheques Issued by Title Companies Lead to Foreclosures
- Increase in Foreclosures Prompting Class Action Legal Suits
- Avoiding Foreclosures by Walking Away From Loans are not Without Problems
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November 6th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Thanks for bringing this issue up. Union Rescue Mission is a great organization and is doing a lot of work on behalf of the homeless of los angeles. Any support is greatly appreciated. http://www.urm.org