Sites and Clients
The Mad Housers' most frequently asked questions are:
The answer is: the clients are at the sites.
SITES:
Sites need two basic things: proximity and privacy. Proximity means that site residents are within walking distance of necessary resources such as clean water, public transportation, grocery stores, etc. Privacy means that the site will remain unmolested. That usually means staying out of sight.
Physically locating a site that's nearby yet hidden isn't terribly difficult; a bit of research with some maps and a sturdy pair of sneakers can usually turn up plenty of locations. But "hidden" doesn't automatically mean "private" - there are plenty of hidden areas that people will occasionally walk through.
So what's the best indicator that a site is good? Homeless people. If it's a really a good place to stay, chances are, someone's staying there.
CLIENTS:
Finding a good location is only half of finding a good site. The other half is whether clients are capable of maintaining a site.
Mad Housers try not to get into the business of judging whether a person is a good person or not. That's not our job. But it is our concern whether a something we build is going to help anybody. If huts are going to cause a disruption in a camp, or if the camp looks like it's heading for extinction anyways, we really don't want to waste our time.
We try to get to know our clients and potential clients pretty well. It usually doesn't take more than a couple of visits to a camp to get a feel for its long-term viability.
Good questions to ask:
- How long have you been here? If it's been awhile, that's a good sign. Like the best indicator of future wealth is current wealth, the best indicator of a camp's future longevity is it's longevity.
- Do other folks know you're here? This is quite likely. If the neighbors know and don't mind, if the landowner knows and doesn't mind, then the camp is golden. Same with cops; they usually won't break up a camp unless there are complaints.
- Is someone in charge? In a group situation, there's usually a person who's the leader. It's not necessarily an explicit leadership role, where someone is the boss - sometimes it's simply a respect member of the camp whose opinion is always listened to. These folks give the ultimate blessing on what happens in the camp, and should be consulted.
Some things to look for in a camp:
- Neatness. Not necessarily "cleanliness" - camps aren't picked for proximity to trash cans, so garbage often accumulates. But if it's corralled and the place basically looks orderly, that's a good sign. If there's no trash, that's a very good sign.
- Camp cohesion. The people there get along with each other. This usually is the result of an established, commonly accepted camp leader.
- NO EVIDENCE OF DRUGS. Cigarette butts or the occasional
beer can isn't a problem. The warning signs are little Ziploc-style crack baggies - about the size of a
fingernail - or syringes.
This is not knee-jerk anti-drug moralizing. If the evidence of drug use is on the ground around the camp, then either folks are being sloppy or are openly using. Either way, it's evidence of a possible habit and/or dealing, and that's a nightmare - a path of trouble that leads to the death of a camp.
