Violation Of City Codes/Can Not Live This Way.

My heart goes out to that couple. At the same time, I admire them for doing what they need to do... surviving. I understand why there are laws and codes that we must adhere to, at least to a point; it's for our own safety. I feel, though, that the same agency that told them they have to leave should also be able to help them to find a new place to go, at least temporarily. If you look at it in the long-term, if the government would give people like this a helping hand, it just might be what they need to get back up on their feet. I was almost in that position once. Because of health reasons and our great government's insistance that every human being CAN work, I lost my house. First, it was my job. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia after 2 years of not knowing what was wrong with me and tried so hard to get to work every day and be able to STAY at work the whole day. When I could no longer do this, I filed for Social Security Disability. I had worked about 40 years of my life! I'm entitled! They turned me down. I appealed. They turned me down again. I appealed again. This went on for 6 years! In the meantime, I lost my house. My mother thought I was just being lazy (nice of her, huh?) even though I had been working full-time since I was 19 and part-time from 14 to 19, without a break! I even built and managed a snoball stand when I was 11 years old! I've NEVER been lazy! So, if it weren't for the generosity of a friend, I would have been out on the street. Luckily, things started getting better after that. Not the health part, nor even the fight with Social Security, but because I met and married my current husband who has been just wonderful about understanding my physical problems. He has also allowed me the time to do what I want, which is to continue to make money! I've always loved paying my own way in the world; it's so satisfying and a great ego-booster! I'm earning a little bit right now, making jewelry. Not nearly enough to live off of, though... just enough to keep me making more jewelry. I have a neighbor who owns a shop that sells nothing but hand-made things and she lets me sell my stuff there. I'm working on a website now and will hopefully have it up and running by December. In my case, all it took was for someone to hold out their hand to me. That's all it would take for most people who are down on their luck through no fault of their own. All they need is to know that someone cares about them. That's enough to pull them out of depression and/or despair and motivate them towards a better future.

i have been homeless. i was for about 2 years not very long ago. i was lucky enough to have a few friends who would let me crash there for a week or so at a time. and i was also lucky enough to have a car that i could sleep in. its an awful situation that couple are in. talk about a rock and a hard place. they are Trying..and the city is gonna kick them while they are down. ive never really understood some of the reasoning behind the "city codes" when it comes to your own property. now i can understand not having a business in a residential area. but if you want to live in a camper/tent/storage shed that is on YOUR property..why cant you?

Up till now no. I hope that I don't experience this. However if it happens I would try the most out of it. I would try to struggle to give a better life to my son.

That is so sad that someone has to live in a storage building. I find it even sadder that the city would rather have them sleeping on the streets then sleeping in a storage building where they are at least out of the elements. I would wonder where they would go to use a bathroom but perhaps they live very near to a place that is open 24/7 and could use the facilites there when needed or perhaps they have friends that they are able to visit and shower at their homes at times. My wish is that the city would instead help them locate and homeless shelter where they can stay instead of litteraly just tossing them out on the streets. Times are hard for everyone right now but I can imagine harder for others. I find it so sad that someone is going through this. I pray that I never have to endure anything like this because I really don't think I would be strong enough to get through it.

i was homeless once. my ex,ex, husband was a bum. found it out after i married him. he quit his job, i couldnt keep everything paid up with mine. we moved in with family for a while. i lost my job cause the car quit and i could never get to work on time. my cousin said the landlord was going to evict them for to many in the apt. i sent my 11yr old to live with my oldest daughter. we moved to a shelter. it was like he..l on earth. i ended up leaving him and going back to my moms until i got on my feet.so i think something good should be done about our homeless.

I feel bad for these people. They are trying to survive the best that they can! Unfortunately for the US I feel that we will have several more peoples in this same situation before long. I would hope that the city would reconsider this and eviction of the couple. Are they living on a piece of property or is this a rented storage unit? How did the city find out about the situation?

I have never been homeless but I truly believe we are all just one paycheck away from becoming homeless, especially those of us that live paycheck to paycheck. I feel for them but also understand the city's view, as it is their job to enforce the codes. This is in the best interest of the people, as it can't be safe for them to be living there.

Yes years ago my husband, 4 children and I were homeless for an entire summer, we lived in our car and a tent. We could not find a house though hubby found work. This was in the 70's before all the landlord/tenant laws and people did not want to rent to people with children. We found a lot of for rent houses 3-4 bedrooms. But they all would not rent to people with children. Finally my husband did find another job and we got a 3 bedroom house to rent from two elderly ladies who understood what it was to be homeless. We got our break and went on from there. Now my brother and his wife and friend were evicted from their rental home of 17 years, my brother had done $10,000 of improvements to this home and the landlord did not give him one dime of credit. He got sick for a few days and was in the hospital and so missed his child support payment and his wife who is disabled did not realize she needed to pay it. So Child Support took his $3500 bank account he had for emergency and rent and truck payment. They had no mercy. About 2 weeks later his unemployment ran out. He could not pay the rent and the landlord evicted them. He had 30 days to move. He sold what he could to make his truck payment and insurance and came to live at my place to get a start over. He brought his friend also who's wife kicked him out because he is disabled and has not yet got Social Security. We moved things around to other places and cleaned out my storage shed. It is warm and has windows and electricity. They come to the main house for showers and to use the bathroom and phone. The do have heat. We live rural and so they can do this right now. But many don't want people to live in what they can. Yet they don't want to help. A shelter is not a good place for my disabled sister in law or my brothers friend. They are slowing getting things togather and hope to find their own place in a couple of months. My brother is hoping to find work as it is a lot larger metropoliton area than were he had been living with more opportunity. I have helped where I can and will be glad when they move out as they smoke and I am very allergic to smoke. He had thought about going to get our sister in Tennessee but right now there is no room for her here and I told him it would not work. He had called my sons trying to get money to help go get my sister but I told him he needed to get a place of his own before she came as we just don't have the room and she too smokes. We cannot afford her. She has money and a car she could sell if she wanted to come here. She is in a wheelchair and living in a one room apartment with two other people she does not know very well. But we cannot help her yet and she does have a place to stay. So he agreed we need to wait a few months until he can get another place to live with more room.

I have never lived that way, although I did live in a house that was almost ready to fall down, but could not the city help them by giving them temporary shelter until they finish their house? Maybe you can get Habitat for Humanity to help them. I do not think it is right for the city to decide that they have enough money to rent a place and therefore loose out on building their house. I would suggest that you talk to the alderman or someone in your district about it and see what he can do.

[i]Hi Chevee, haven't tried that but we have a lot of families in our Country who are just living under the bridge or the streets! it's very sad to watch them especially the kids![/i]

i think they should be left alone!

Hi Chevee, How so sad for those people, I am so thankful that I have not been homeless and own our home, and hope and pray that I will never be homeless, I won't know what to do, I rather die. Thosed poor people must be going through hell, I wish them all the best in their future. Love and Hugs. Tamara

oh no thats so sad for them, no i am very lucky i have never been homeless and hopefully i never will be. i am very lucky i have lots of friends and family that would help me out if i was ever in that situation and i would think nothing of allowing friends to stay with me of they needed to. I wish this couple the best can they not move it to someones drive or something. If they are not doing any harm i don't see why it simply can't be overlooked for a while seems like a silly rule to me.