Bob and Mary used to live in a nice house in Virginia.

Mary became really ill and though they had a good insurance policy the medical bills bankrupted them. Bob lost his job due to layoffs. Because the value of their home took a direct hit from the "great recession" of 2008 they ended up "underwater" on the home. They sold it not so much to make up the shortfall in funds, but simply because they could no longer afford the mortgage payment. They still owe the bank money from the sale.

Bob's retirement savings were eaten up by Mary's medical expenses, mortgage payments and their combined living expenses.

With the meager funds they had left they bought a motor home and traveled to the West Coast. At least here they wouldn't freeze to death. Bob and Mary have children, but they refuse to impose on them. It just wouldn't be right somehow.

They originally found a place to park near the beach. Unfortunately the daily fees were pretty high and they had to find an alternative. Ideally that alternative would be "free."

They parked the monster on a street in Venice, but residents were getting fed up with the sudden influx of motor homes and campers. Some of the less scrupulous "campers" in the neighborhood were tossing garbage out in the street; even fewer were throwing parties all hours of the night. Venice homeowners demanded action.

At the prompting of residents and with the authority of city council members, the police began cracking down on street parking and waste disposal problems. They chose to do this at three in the morning once a month every month. This time it would be the campers would would lose sleep. Though only a tiny portion of the mobile homeless were at the root of the problems everyone ended up paying for it.

Tickets and warnings were issued. Many would have to find a new place to park. Some could not pay the fees and eventually lost their campers.

So far Bob and Mary have managed to keep the motor home, but they are truly worried now. They can clearly see losing their motorized home in some future crack-down.

Cramped Living

Neither Bob nor Mary are particularly happy with the arrangement. There are no lights at night, unless they want to run the generator which sucks up gas and makes a lot of noise. Water and waste disposal are a constant problem.

They are jammed together in a reduced space. Because it's cheaper to park on the street they do not have the amenities a dedicated motor home park provides such as a power connection, water, and waste disposal hookup. They don't bathe as often as they used to. Cooking is a pain and is done a few times a week. They eat a lot of cold or "room temperature" food.

Their arguments were much more frequent for a while, but they got used to the changes. Both will readily admit that this is way better than being hospitalized or dead. At least they have a roof over their heads.

Hopeful

Bob and Mary are hopeful though. Mary is healthy again and Bob continues to look for work. He's gotten a bit of a reputation among Venice residents as a first-class handyman. The spotty income at least buys food, gas, and parking fees. Bob is saving up for the looming vehicle registration renewal. They also manage to keep insurance on the vehicle.

They are living one day at a time, but at least they are living.

Like so many homeless they "keep the faith" by remaining positive about the future. Bob says he doesn't know when things will get better, but he's certain that they will; it's only a matter of time. Mary agrees. They keep each other going.