At homeless encampments from Seattle, Washington state to Las Cruces, New Mexico, residents live away from the dangers of life on the streets.
Lantz Rowland, 59 poses in front of his tent at SHARE/WHEEL Tent City 3 outside Seattle, Washington October 8, 2015. At homeless encampments from Seattle, Washington state to Las Cruces, New Mexico, residents live away from the dangers of life on the streets. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton /Reuters
Clouds pass above Camp Hope in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Camp Hope, with 50 residents, describe themselves as "alternative transitional living project for the homeless". Photograph:Shannon Stapleton/REUTERS
Buzz Chevara, 56, poses in front of his tent at SHARE/WHEEL Tent City 4 outside Seattle, Washington October 9, 2015. "The concept of tent city means community, safety and a place to be where nobody is going to harass or hurt you in the middle of the night," Chevara said. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton /Reuters
Stephan Schleicher, 31, poses in front of his tent at SHARE/WHEEL Tent City 4 outside Seattle, Washington October 9, 2015. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton /Reuters
A photograph in a home at Quixote Village in Olympia, Washington. Quixote Village is made up of 30 cottages, a community building with a kitchen, showers and laundry facilities and a vegetable garden. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton /Reuters
Kalaniopua Young, 32, originally from Hawaii, poses outside her tent at SHARE/WHEEL Tent City 3 outside Seattle, Washington October 12, 2015. "This is a choice I made to live here. I was lonely and depressed living in an apartment. I feel much better here with the social interaction and friendships..." Photograph: Shannon Stapleton /Reuters
Residents walk at night at Camp Hope in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton /Reuters
Emma Savage, 6, opens a birthday card given to her by her dad Robert Rowe, 42, a day labourer who had just returned from a 12-hour working day to SHARE/WHEEL Tent City 3 outside Seattle, Washington. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton /Reuters
David Yu, 32, poses with his three and a half month old son Joseph, outside his tent at SHARE/WHEEL Tent City 3 outside Seattle, Washington. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton /Reuters
Aaron Ervin, 50, poses in front of his tent at SHARE/WHEEL Tent City 3 outside Seattle, Washington. "Tent City has been a saving grace for me, a place for me to refresh and gather my thoughts. While I'm here I want to lead by example and be a positive influence on camp. People feel safe here, they are tense from being wrongfully judged from carrying all their bags as being homeless and the camp makes you feel comfortable knowing you have a safe place for your belongings, which does a lot for people making them more relaxed." SHARE and WHEEL describe themselves as self-organised, democratic organisations of homeless and formally homeless people which run several self-managed tent cities. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton /Reuters
Tent city residents watch an NFL football game in their communal television area at SHARE/WHEEL Tent City 3 outside Seattle, Washington. Photograph:Shannon Stapleton /Reuters
A general view of the unsanctioned homeless tent encampment Nickelsville in Seattle, Washington. At homeless encampments from Seattle, Washington state to Las Cruces, New Mexico, residents live away from the dangers of life on the streets, saying the stability helps them work towards their goals. Despite a shortage of affordable housing for the poor and budget constraints on social welfare programmes, many U.S. cities have clamped down on tent cities in the past few years. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton /Reuters
Shane Savage, 41, and his partner Jammie Nichols pose outside their tent at SHARE/WHEEL Tent City 3 outside Seattle, Washington. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton /Reuters
A water cooler is seen at the Nickelsville homeless tent encampment in Seattle, Washington. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton /Reuters
