A few months ago, this blog covered the issue of tarp cities in locations on the West Coast of the United States, particularly how these tarp communities were becoming more visible now that the economy has been in a state of recession. In terms of the tarps, this type of shelter, if you’re planning to stay outdoors, is a better choice than other options and, while the previous articles mentioned the combined use of tarps with found objects to create the homes in these tarp cities, tarps themselves, when used properly, can keep out water and sun and protect – if you’re using a medium-duty tarp – for up to 90 days.
Another issue concerning “tarp cities” has been in the news recently and that is about the homeless in Victoria, British Columbia using tarps for shelter, as the city does not have enough space in its shelters for its homeless population. This article mentions that, up until 2007, tarps and tents weren’t allowed to be used as shelter in Victoria, but this ruling was overturned and revised to accommodate the homeless outside at night because of a lack of space in the city’s shelters. The laws now regarding tarp and tent shelters in Victoria allow these structures to be used as night and only in parts of a park.
The argument against these tarp and tent “cities” in the park in Victoria, as mentioned in the article, concerns warmer weather and more debris – trash and leftover tarps – in the park. But, in terms of tarps, the tarps themselves shouldn’t be banned, especially if the city doesn’t have enough space in their shelters for their homeless. To cut back on debris, one option is increasing shelter space or having stricter litter laws as, even if the homeless in these tarp cities didn’t use tarps and tents for protection, trash would still be in the parks.
