10 Places People Slept in 2009

Living without a home of your own is a devastating experience. But sleeping without a home is downright difficult. Today, we're looking back at 10 places homeless people slept in 2009. Some of these places received media attention this year; others did not. But all of these overnight accommodations are completely unacceptable for regular human habitation.

This Christmas Eve, don't take your bed for granted. Here's a look back at the places people without a home slept in 2009.

1. Storage Units

Many have called storage units the modern-day cardboard box. Sure, they're not ideal. But at roughly $200/night, they beat the dangers of the street, the rules of shelters, and the stigma of tent cities for people who are newly homeless. Read more here.

2. Cars

A mobile home - that is, a car or RV - may seem like a bearable solution to losing one's home. But when your home is on four wheels, it's impossible to sit still. Each day you must be on the go to evade authorities and the expensive citations for illegal parking. You sleep with one eye open; you can never be perfectly at ease. This creates real challenges for delivering services to get the mobile homeless off the streets. Read more here.

3. Motels

Cheap motels became the newest thing in subsidized housing and the de facto shelter for families affected by the recession in 2009. For families, it's an affordable alternative to shelter and safer than the streets. But with cramped rooms, unsafe conditions, and little space for cooking, it is far from a good alternative to safe, decent housing. Read more here.

4. Tent Cities

Since the economy has been hurting, homeless encampments have sprung up in communities across the U.S. Some - like Sacramento, Providence, or Nickelsville - garner lots of media attention; others go quietly unnoticed. As diverse the residents and characteristics of these communities may be, they all have on thing in common: they are cloaked in controversy. Read more about these controversies here.

5. Las Vegas Underground Tunnels

Underneath the glitz and glamor of America's infamous strip exists a hidden community. Roughly 700 homeless people call the 350 miles of dank and deadly flood tunnels under Sin City "home." Read more about this hidden community - and see pictures - here.

6. Streets

While it may seem counter-intuitive that a homeless person would choose to stay on the streets rather than in a homeless shelter, the reasons for doing so are compelling. One Change.org reader and contributor who is currently homeless shared his rationale for choosing streets over shelter. Read more here.

7. Abandoned Buildings and Foreclosed Houses

Across the country, buildings and houses are boarded up, idle, and empty. At the same time, homelessness has been on the rise and the need for decent, affordable housing is as great as ever. Talk about frustrating. While it can be extremely dangerous - deadly, even - some homeless individuals and organizations have taken matters into their own hands. Read more here.

8. Obamaville

The web erupted this year about a "Welcome to Obamaville" sign in front of a Colorado Springs Tent City. All this banter about a sign in front of tent city. But the real question is this: would we be talking about this tent city in Colorado Springs if this sign was never there in the first place? Obamaville (or whatever you want to call it) made the list because behind that sign, there are people who have no choice but to sleep outdoors near a highway in Colorado. Now that deserves some outrage. Read more here.

9. Doubled-Up on Grandma's Couch

The definition of homelessness is a hotly contested issue among homeless advocates. But one fact remains: children who are doubled up are considered homeless under McKinney Vento, even though they are not counted in federal homeless statistics. In 2009, schools across the country reported exorbitant numbers of homeless students. Read more here.

10. We Don't Know

For all of those homeless individuals whose unfortunate living situations are documented, recorded, and broadcast to the public, there are hundreds more who remain anonymous. The methodology for finding and counting homeless people is imperfect; we simply do not find everyone.

Image: jek in the box