Editor's Note: Tent cities continue to be a hot topic in the Puget Sound Region. Recently, Northwest Hub covered the Washington Supreme Court case that determined that it’s a violation of a church’s religious freedom not to process a temporary use permit for a tent city. Today's feature is a different perspective from the community, a more personal account from someone who has spent a significant amount of time with Tent City 3. Marc Weinberg is a dedicated amateur photographer who has been documenting the lives of tent city residents since December 2008.
After working with and photographing the residents of Tent City 3 over the past year, Marc has acquired friends, heard many stories, and begun to understand the issues of homelessness here in Seattle. He has collected 600 images of the life and culture of Tent City 3. The following letters are fiction. The facts expressed are clearly his own and based on his experience.
The Scene
The holiday season often inspires friends to reconnect and the following exchange of letters is just that. ‘JJ’ is a longtime resident in Tent City 3 and ‘BK’ is a former member who seized the opportunity to relocate to low income housing.
Letter from JJ, current resident in Tent City 3
Dear BK,
I heard you are living well now in your new digs. It must be really nice to have hot water for shaving and a shower whenever you want. A real toilet sounds good, instead of a cold porta-potti, especially during the winter months. Soon after you moved out last spring we got our portable shower on the trailer which can be moved with us. It works fine and we love it, but depending on the church we’re at, we can’t always have the right power or water connection to use it. Like now, the church doesn’t have a 220 power connection we can use, so keeping clean is a problem which probably adds to some health issues for us.
We are really squeezed into a small parking lot at this church. The people here are great and do lots to support us. We can always use more food donations. Some days the food is wonderful and others it’s pretty slim. I’d probably feel better, stay healthier and stop coughing if I could stop smoking, but around here everyone seems to find the money or resources for that terrible habit and with so many people doing it, stopping is impossible. I heard you quit. How did you do it?
During this cold and wet season getting warm and staying that way is the challenge. We could always use more warm socks, blankets, hats and gloves. Keeping a tent dry inside when I’m wearing wet rain gear and shoes is just like you’d remember. It's a constant battle. Once things inside the tent are wet, there’s no way to get them dry. In some neighborhoods we move to there is a mall or shopping center where we can get warm or linger in a coffee shop or grocery sipping on a cup of coffee. Oh, by the way, we got a new microwave which is really great. When someone donates eggs, cooking one in there is really nice. Sure wish there was some safe way we could do some cooking in the camp, but nothing has changed and the fire department won’t allow an open flame as we might set the whole place on fire.
I often think about when you left and I lost you as a friend. I guess our two lives are so different now. I wish I could do what you did and get out into real housing, but you know, after being here for several years, I’ve just lost my ambition. The social service programs take so long and there’s always another meeting to go to. You remember, every 90 days we move and getting bus passes and getting to meetings gets harder. If I miss an appointment, I slip to the bottom of the list again. I try not to think about it. I don’t know if I can ever get out of here. Then if I do, I’ll lose all my friends here. It’s depressing to be here and it’s depressing to think about ‘what if I could leave.’
Return letter from BK
Dear JJ,
It’s nice to hear from you. Yes, I miss you too and my other Tent City friends. For me, I decided it was time to move out and on. As you might remember, never in my wildest dreams did I think that one day I would be homeless. It happened so gradually.
I used to think about homeless people I saw on the street like “Man why don't you go get a job?” And then it hit me too. There are a lot of reasons people are out there, especially with our economy like it is. I was living like so many people do, payday to payday. And when all of a sudden my job wasn’t there, I had about 30 days to get out of my place. I stayed with a relative at first. Pretty soon that wore out and it kept getting worse. One day I found myself out there with nothing except a back pack.
After living on the street and under bridges in Seattle, I discovered Tent City 3. Compared to the streets and a shelter, it was like a safe place where I could come and go as I wanted, and I didn't have to get up in the morning (like in a shelter) and put everything on my back and take off to walk the streets all day. In a way, it was like having my own house, but it was a tent and I just pretended I was camping out. I was with you guys nearly 2 years. One day I just made up my mind I was going to take better care of myself, follow the rules, and get to all the meetings I was asked to attend and take every advantage within the system and get into low income housing. I keep a photo of Tent City 3 on my wall to remind me and not forget where I came from.
Now I seem to have the freedom to create some plans for myself that really work. I don’t know if you remember, but I had cancer 8 years ago and now focus on staying healthy. I’ve also been able to get some regular physical therapy. I’ve lost some weight and stopped smoking with the help of my doctor who gave me a much needed prescription that worked so well in breaking the habit. I have my own little fridge, a crock pot and microwave. In Tent City these things were way down the list for me. Survival was number one. Now I actually have a room with a view, a place of my own. It’s just great. I can do my laundry down the hall from my room, not have to carry it on my back to a Laundromat. My life is more what I’d call ‘normal’ like it was many years ago. JJ, I hope you make it through the winter. I remember how rough that was. I was always running out of batteries for flashlights and things, with no personal or private electricity available.
From where I am now, it’s easier to see that Tent City was good for me for a while. You’ve got to keep thinking about a better life for yourself. Everyone deserves better. Find someone in the system you can relate to and get help. You had a life before Tent City and maybe you can’t get that back again, but you can do better than you have now. You’re a nice guy and you’ll find new friends wherever you go. I don’t think anyone wants to be there when they get as old as I am now. No more sleeping bags for me, or rocks to keep my tent from blowing away. I’m sleeping in a real bed with four walls around me. For a while after moving here, I’d wake up in the mornings and bite my finger to see if this was a dream or real.
Editor’s note: Tent City 3 needs all kinds of tents, any size…car port tents (portable garages), motor home covers, canopies, event tents, gazebo tents, garden tents, party tents. Other needs are pallets and plywood for floors, and 1x2s, 1x3s, 1x4s, 2x4s, duct tape, twine, rope, and tarps of all colors and sizes. During winter months batteries, blankets, gloves and socks are always helpful. An easy way to provide adult clothing items any time of year is to visit garage and estate sales and ask for donations. Contact the author for the current Tent City 3 location. Be sure to ask for a receipt at the time of your donation.
Marc Weinberg has been documenting life at Tent City 3 through his photographs since December, 2008. His work has helped to bring attention to the issues and provide images for photo cards that churches can sell to raise money for this homeless community. When visiting Tent City 3 ask to see the album at the administration tent. These photos are used in new resident orientation to camp life. For more information about the author visit his website at www.photodxpeditions.com and his photo site at www.flickr.com/photos/marc_weinberg
