'Vanlords' in Los Angeles: Homeless call RV's that offer shelter and little else home

Homelessness is no longer just for drug users. It’s also for the working class. Those who work 40 hours a week and still can’t afford rent. You make $2000-$3000 a month and still can’t afford anything in this city. I’m even talking about those with shiny bachelors degrees. Heck even EMTs and CNAs can make $16-$20 hour and still not be able to afford housing.

The fact that you can have a full time job and still not afford to have your own place is just disgusting.

The irony of the matter is plenty of housing exists in L.A.. None of it affordable.

When I was a kid I always thought a dystopian future in America was just science fiction, but now it's fast becoming a reality.

There's something very wrong when someone who's working 40hrs a week can't afford rent. Transitional housing is only a temporary solution and wouldn't allow a senior like her to keep her dog. Dogs/cats are very important to and provide companionship to these people.

So these vanlords are collecting rent with these RVs parked on free public streets? I’m sure it’s a 100% unreported cash business.

Don’t ever become homeless here in australia! My wife and I were some years ago and had no choice but to live in our van. We were quiet, put rubbish in bins and councils moved us on or be fined. It was “the looks” all sorts of people gave us knowing our van was our home was disgraceful and disgusting. We don’t drink nor drug and we’re just chill friendly people. Seemed nobody including councils wanted us anywhere and my question to this day remains “where to you want homeless people to be then huh!” Treating your fellow man like s**t no matter what their circumstances says everything about the people treating you like that. Be nice and kind to everyone everywhere in this life because you just don’t know what someone’s going through.

I don't see a problem with people living in a motor-home, but I DO see a real problem with the mess outside them. Keep the vehicle and surrounding area tidy, and nobody would likely bother them.

Well when rent is so freaking high, what else are people supposed to do? Not saying it’s right but some people would rather do this than give up virtually their entire paycheck just to get stuck in a vicious cycle.

Same thing happening in Tampa! People moving in RV's and have full time jobs or are seniors on fixed incomes.

What people don’t understand is that many of these ‘homeless’ people are paying the same amount for those RVs as rent costs for apartments. No one is renting to a homeless person because of the well intentioned, yet flawed legislation that makes it SO difficult to evict here.. I offered 3 months rent plus deposit for a place they just would not rent to me because of my credit which was only low from student loans and as an artist with difficult to prove/inconsistent income I got stuck in a cycle of way more expensive subleases. We need affordable houses but more than that we need landlords to actually rent to people with less than a 700 credit score. These RVs are a symptom of this public health emergency, not the cause.

You can't ignore how bad things really are now!

Not sure how people r surviving when a mere room cost $800-1200 a ROOM

hmmm driving out people with low incomes who are trying to avoid homelessness, nowadays people who have jobs are living in RV's and vans yet LA is trying to drive them out. 'ONLY THE WEALTHY MAY LIVE HERE' That's a little NEW YORK of you there LA.

More tiny villages, please! Open up abandoned properties, set up city owned RV's, set up reasonable rents (working people only not drug dealers with money), with amenities like restrooms with showers, this would help people like this woman that can't afford apartment living, but still deserve to exist!

Hey, my landlord told me last week he wants the rent unchanged due to my payment stability and the way I take care of his property. Yesterday got the message from him, that he rethink the case and wants 20% more. Now I understand how Europe history developed in late '30s.

Homelessness Can Happen To Anyone These Days 😔

I left almost a decade ago. I had to be making 3x the rent in order to stay in my apartment, and I made groceries work, had my utilities paid, but for nothing else. And then getting burglarized and all valuables being taken was the last straw. Cops showed up 14 hours later. 🤦🏾

Renting them out? This is beyond insane

I have a caravan totally redone so you can live in it year round. Though I have an apartment I realized years ago if you have one major expensive drawback and it is usually medical I am in trouble so I bought this van and I slowly fixed it up for an elderly woman the last thirteen years after my husband passed away. I knew the day would come that I will not be able to afford an apartment, medicine and food at the same time. It is sad that you work your whole life for what? A caravan, smh. I started working at twelve and my husband at ten, now in my late fifties and my husband gone I decided to travel around the USA and Canada the day after I retire. America where no one cares until your in the same boat. We are one paycheck from the street and the things the politicians want you to care about isn't paying the bills or putting a roof over your head nor food on the table. I don't care about woke, hunter's laptop, trump, biden, or who hates who for whatever reason their grey cells get all affronted about. I do care about people who for no reason but money constraints will be homeless, I know a few that you would never believe that are as of right now without a home. I am thankful I planned ahead and if something happens to me at least someone in my family will have a use for it.