Maria Maior's son is a football-playing, skateboard-riding, Xbox-loving kid whose home reveals all the trappings of domesticity: a cushy sofa, big-screen TV, a framed poster of Brian Urlacher -- one of the 12-year-old's favorite football players. On most evenings, two big dogs curl up on the carpeting.
The scene could be lifted from any suburban subdivision -- except that it's located not in a den, but in a storage unit.
The boy moved into the 10-foot-by-25-foot bunker about two months ago with his mom and her fiance, after a long run of bad luck and the loss of both of their jobs. His mother didn't not want his name used for this article. "As long as I have my parents, I'm fine with this," Maior's son said of the accommodations. "It's really not that bad."
School district officials said the boy is one of a record number of area students living in motels, campgrounds, shelters, cars and, yes, storage facilities.
LINK HERE
I had a friend who did this a few years back. I can back from a vacation and he was living in a 12x15' storage unit. If he was home there would be a gum wrapper under the door.
ReplyDeleteI am sure storage places really crack down on this now by monitoring electrical usage and/or surveilance cameras.
I know it is not a laughing matter, but the first time I saw him living in there I had to laugh. Tough SOB, survivor. It kept him going for a few weeks and then he eventually found a job.
People today will probably go from the storage units to the streets simply because there are no jobs.
I never put me head down on my pillow at night without knowing how lucky I am to have shelter. More than ever the poor need our help.
Don't be afraid to show some charity face to face. Feels good to be a caring human being.
WOW, what a good kid!
ReplyDeleteSounds like the 21st century version of Hooverville.
ReplyDeleteLaura says: Living in storage facilities in most cities/towns is against the law. I know a man who runs a storage unit, and he would warn them or call the police if they refused. It poses a health hazard and is against zoning laws. These people will get caught by security cameras and told to move out.
ReplyDeleteJerkin the Gurkin says: Maybe not...if the
ReplyDeletestorage place needs the money and the local
police understand the situations...soon they
will have far more to deal with then some
families trying to survive...the criminals
will be trying to survive...and look how the
TPTB look the other way for all the illegal
immigrants. 2010 is not going to be a Planning Board/Zoning Board compliant year
IMHO
endthefed dot us - problem solved - one of many the banksters cause, causing and caused
ReplyDeleteHey Laura, storage facilities are going to get killed in the coming years. nobody can afford to pay motgage, let alone an outragous storage fee. These companies should be happy to have the business. Would you rather the kids live in the street?
ReplyDelete