Providing shelter for homeless people is a problem that has plagued major metropolitan areas for decades, and recently economic dislocation has affected more people, thus growing their ranks.
This has given rise to tent cities which are often erected illegally on public or private property.
Tents can easily break or fall apart in stormy conditions.
One attempt to remedy this has been to build small plywood structures, usually a 6 X 8 foot shed big enough for one person, that can be put up and dismantled quickly as the need arises.
They are built with a floor that is a few inches off the ground, and have windows that can be raised or lowered.
The occupants are much better off than in a tent, since they can sleep on an air mattress or sleeping bag a lot more comfortably.
They also have some room to hang their clothes and some personal items.
Being able to decorate the inner walls also gives a feeling of being at home.
Although they are not permanently attached, they can withstand stormy days a lot better than a tent.
This is being tried at one homeless housing camp in Florida.
Homeless children are regarded as particularly difficult, as many homeless services have limited or no facilities for families, who often wind up sharing a cramped motel room.
Through all this, children must continue going to school and getting their homework done.
Since their lives are chaotic, it's difficult for them to make friends, and are often embarrassed to admit to anyone that they are living in homeless housing.
Even against all these odds, it's amazing how many of the homeless keep trying to grab the bottom rung of the economic ladder, and many often succeed.