This is one of the sights on the poverty tour. When a trailer park is the best housing a person can afford, that usually means that they are on the bottom of the rental ladder. Occasionally trailers are options for people who cannot sign a long-term lease due to mental illness, a criminal background, or a poor credit record. One example of someone who moved into a trailer is a man who had been homeless for more than 20 years. Some of those years were spent in prison. He finally qualified for disability and was able to use that money to find a place to live. The volunteer who went with him to see his new place was horrified to see that there were holes in the floor and the door. The rent was more than $400 a month and that did not include utilities. However, the man was THRILLED to have his own place to call home.
Some of you will notice the satellite dish and say, “Well, they can afford a dish so I don’t feel too bad about the housing situation.” To that I’d reply that when you struggle day to day for basic existence, you need a way to escape from the daily grind. How better to escape than to watch television? What other options are there?