In the Old Days We Had “Slumlords”, but in 2024 We Have “Vanlords”

by Michael Snyder

(The Economic Collapse Blog)—If you live in a major city, you can see them all around you. I am talking about aging vans, RVs and trailers that are parked on the side of the road for months at a time and that obviously have people living in them. There is an entire class of people that live in such conditions, and there is an entire class of “businessmen” that prey on such people. When I was growing up, there were lots of headlines about “slumlords” that were taking advantage of the poor. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a “slumlord” is “a landlord who receives unusually large profits from substandard, poorly maintained properties”.

Today, we have a different sort of a problem. “Vanlords” are parking vans, RVs and trailers along the streets of the worst parts of our major cities, and they are renting them out to people that cannot afford regular homes. Sadly, we live at a time when lots and lots of people cannot afford regular homes because homelessness is absolutely exploding all over the nation. In some areas there have been efforts to crack down on the “vanlords”, but when things get too hot in one area they just move somewhere else. As long as there are vast hordes of homeless Americans that are deeply suffering, there will be “vanlords” that are eager to take advantage of them.

Matt Feely just authored a very interesting piece about this phenomenon. He says that things are particularly bad in the poorest sections of Oakland…

But the people in those RVs don’t own them. They rent them, from people who’ve come to be called “vanlords”. These energetic businesspeople buy up old trailers and RVs and either drive or tow them to unfortunate neighbourhoods in cities like Oakland. There they enter into informal rental agreements with homeless people.

This is also happening on a very large scale in southern California.

In fact, it is being estimated that the number of people living in RVs in Los Angeles County actually increased by 31 percent from 2020 to 2023…"

Sounds like a reasonable response to homelessness to me. The polar opposite is what LA did recently. They spent upwards of $800,000 per unit to build a few 450 square foot efficiency apartments for the homeless that had all the amenities, a spa, pool, gym, and work room for crafting.

Years ago while my parents traveled, neighbors kept an eye on my parents home -- located in a prime L.A. neighborhood. A large older RV parked in front of my parents home and no one would do anything about it. Police were too busy picking out their free donuts and Starbucks coffee down the street.

So I went there and saw the RV was steeling water from the hose spigot and plugged in their power by the our Sprinkler timer along side of the home. I disconnected both the power and water and warned the occupants what would happen if they continued. One drunk fellow threw a beer bottle and broke my parents plate glass window, costing $1,000 to replace. It was 8 feet wide with a curved top. A custom job. Again the police were instructed to do nothing about illegal parked RV's.

So around 3 AM the next morning I showed up with my Ford F600. A flat bed construction truck. It was a 4 speed with a split 2 speed rear axle differential. 1 st gear was like a cement truck. Zero to 5 miles per hour max, then you had to switch into second gear.

I climbed under the RV and removed the drive shaft bearing caps and disconnected the emergency brake. Then I backed my truck, lift gate down against the RV's front tiles and attached a towing rope.

The occupants were dead drunk and sleeping. I towed this truck to the center of a busy street. La Brea Ave. And left it in the turning lane. I then called traffic control and reported it.

On official police garaged towed it into an impound. Never saw them again.

Homeless (Lives in Van) California council member fights for others like her: Five key questions

Ventura City Councilwoman Liz Campos, 70, uses an electric lift to reach ground level from the van she lives in. June 4, 2024. Photo by Julie Leopo-Bermudez for CalMatters

Ventura City Councilmember Liz Campos has been without a home since late 2022 — a couple months before she was elected to her first term. A former middle school teacher, Campos has lived in Ventura for about 22 years.

1) How has your personal experience with homelessness influenced your perspective and decisions as a city council member?

I’ve been a strong advocate for the homeless population since college when I did an internship at a program for homeless people. I don’t think that has changed since my election. I am homeless because, during my campaign, my landlord disagreed with my politics, evicted me, and then sold the house. What that experience has caused is my advocacy, even battle, to bring clearly defined, enforceable tenant protections to Ventura.

2) What specific policies or initiatives would you advocate for to address homelessness in your city? What about in California?

I believe all cities and counties should have strong, enforceable tenant protections to prevent increasing the population of unhoused individuals. I would spend whatever it takes to provide basic services for individuals who are homeless, including showers, laundry, a change of clothing, and a “listening post” where homeless persons can tell their stories, vent, complain, or just receive a little compassion. This could be connected to housing services, sheltering, meals, etc . . .

The dissolution and outlawing of trailer parks and RV parks has definitely increased the homeless issue. There is a place for low-cost basic housing but we all know NIMBY is a mnore powerful driving force.

Who initially created the problem?

Seems to me that Liz Campos was focused on homelessness and thus became homeless.

Yes this is an issue.......so what do you do then - kick the homeless out of the van and make them homeless again?

Part of me thinks that if you want to put homeless people in more affordable locations then you would offer less money to them in expensive locations and more money for housing in lesser expensive locations. But then I think of it also from a the homeless persons point of view.

Interesting!

I saw a video report about a lot with 30? old RVs crammed on a quarter acre with a fence around it. Barely enough room to walk around. None could be moved and none were connected to sewer. Ugh!

My neighbor in a $700,000 home was visited by their parents in a $250,000 motor home. We have a wide street so no problem parking it. BUT...Mom and Dad were not allowed to sleep in their own "home" due to city code.

My suggestion to reduce homelessness: Get folks to donate their old minivan. Take out the back seats, install a slab of foam to sleep on, a cooler that plugs in to the ciggie lighter, a $5 per month Obama phone so they can receive calls to work and make medical appointments, solar panels to charge the phone/run a fan or small heater... They can keep their dog and drive to work, medical and agency appointments...

In my city they can park overnight at 2 Walmarts, Menards, Sam's Club, and Cracker Barrel. Rotating to each lot to stay legal.

The city was ready to fine ME because my res was letting his buddy park his minivan back behind the detached garage by the alley no one uses. Not bothering anyone, not making a mess. The city inspector spotted an extension cord running from the home to the minivan and was mostly upset about the cord.