A room of ones own - Homeless in Des Moines& near homeless

City Council seems to think their secret is how critical the housing situation really is,and it never happens in their city. What do you do when you cannot afford the rent in your community or a mortgage payment during a high rate of foreclosure ? What if a charity group came in and offered huts/hooches and you did not know about building permits ? What if that charity group had the right idea but was not aware of how the Housers (mentioned on this web site) put the first ones in.Yes,it happens in Des Moines Iowa and has been this way a long time. Go to the Village Voice and go to the news section and put in the search,Homelessnessness and look for House Rules,it gives you the history of the huts / hooches.As I mentioned Vince Aletti sometimes writes for the Village Voice,I have the same last name as most of you know.He is listed under arts if you are interested.Are tents at a camp site safer then the huts/hoochs,in the Iowa winter the answer is no.What gives the City Council & Mayor the priviledge of telling residents how to handle their situation ? I believe there are alot of adults they think they have control of.However,I am disabled and I am an A.C.L.U. member and an NAACP card carrying supporter and card carrying member of Poeple for the American Way and I am an independent female.Mark Godwin,city legal does not like these facts,we have discussed this along time ago.I believe it was after I called the General Accounting Office in Wash,DC,or the top dogs.I called there to ask if I could have the Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency books audited. I have a federal phone book thanks to a friend in Wash DC.How much can I do around here ?