Van Life & the Housing Crisis | Internet Analysis

[@tiffanyferg]

I honestly feel bad posting a video about van life right now, in light of Gabby Petito's disappearance -- this topic and posting date were approved by my sponsor over a month ago, I've been writing it for weeks, and today's my deadline. If I had any more wiggle room I would have waited longer to post this, but unfortunately I can't. Hope you all understand ❤️

[@DannyBoi2112]

We understand, you're awesome👌✌

[@ClaireCraig]

I think it's good that you are bringing awareness to her disappearance. I didn't know that before this video.

[@qwertyTRiG]

Was my comment about canal narrowboats caught by the spam filter for some reason. It's disappeared, and I don't imagine that you did it, because I don't think there was anything offensive there.

[@Ruby-xk8kn]

You handled it with a lot of tact and grace.

[@maiasalsamendi3736]

i was going to say it was very ill timed and in order of the video to perform well. but if its because of a sponsor deadline its understandable

[@thefrancophilereader8943]

I watched an episode of Tiny House Nation in which a couple wanted to live in a glorified mobile home. One of the individual's mothers was disappointed that her daughter wanted to live in a mobile home. The shows' hosts kept objecting that this was a tiny house, NOT a mobile home. They were insulted by the suggestion that their tiny homes were mobile homes. That episode revealed how privileged the tiny house movement is. Poor people live in mobile homes, but rich people live in "tiny houses". When poor people do it, it's trashy. When rich people do it, it's trendy.

[@lauraerwin471]

The only active difference I could see is if you have to rent the land but that could be true for tiny houses toooo it’s so classist

[@TinyGhosty]

My lord the host for that show made me want to bash my head onto my desk...

[@daughterofthestars08]

My dad’s initial gut response to me buying and living in a trailer was that it was something that poor people did out of necessity… and i think he didn’t want people to see me that way. He came around, but it really is weird that mobile livers are either retired, “trendy”, or living in poverty, but there’s no crossover and the lifestyle folks will deny to death that they are homeless or reject certain words (like trailer or mobile home) to make themselves more… palatable? I don’t know.

[@angelicabianca631]

There’s definitely a difference in value. A mobile home is made cheaply, is worth less after it’s been lived in. A tiny home or a manufactured home would typically be built by a contractor or in a factory and have a higher building standard. They have a higher resale value. So it’s not just words, but you’re right about the sentiment that the wealthy will do “poor” things because they are trendy but at the same time will do whatever possible to distance themselves from poverty

[@trolloftheyear7963]

@@angelicabianca631 Only mobile homes over 15 years old are cheaply made. Newer ones are built at the same standard of a real house. Tiny homes are overpriced miniature versions of mobile homes. Trailers are made for camping. Tiny homes on wheels are a hybrid of mobile home construction on trailer beds.........basically second rate mobile homes.

[@CassCo6]

I had to live out of my car because of the housing crisis. My city had made it illegal to live out of one's care which added way more stress. This law was passed during COVID so it felt like a personal attack to poor people who were impacted by the pandemic.

[@ophelielikes]

That's incredibly unfair :(

[@DoraWinifred]

That’s disgusting, what city is doing this?

[@Molscheira]

I can't imagine the additional level of stress and stigma because of this disgusting law! I'm so sorry and really pissed of with the lawmakers - really what the hell?!

[@quickgirl80]

It’s 100% a well thought out & purposeful attack in poor people. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this.

[@zippydodahquirk9039]

That's exactly what it is. The government is waging war on the poor. When they say stupid crap like we have a war on poverty what they really mean is they are waging war on the poor.

[@mossryan6646]

I do understand the concern around "van life" people making a distinction that they aren't homeless and how it could be classist and anti-homeless but as someone who's been homeless (as well as being very interested in van life/nomadic living) it is very different to opt into that instead of it being your only choice and I'd be wayyy more upset if they were to say they know what it's like to be homeless or talk for people who've been homeless while living in the fancy vans they chose to be travelling the country in.

[@palladium607]

Right?!?!?! This is what I am SO confused about. No one living van life is claiming to understand homelessness in a classic sense. It's a completely different SELECTIVE experience. Wtd

[@zoegardner9540]

I'm so glad you shared this. That part of the video really confused me, like she was mad at people who had chosen it as a lifestyle for making clear that they were in a different situation to a homeless person forced to do the same? What? Surely we don't want them to be claiming to understand the experience of "homelessness"?

[@imnumber142]

@@zoegardner9540 Exactly.. They're not dumb, they know they're not homeless and that's the end of it. Kinda seemed like a "it's not that deep" moment

[@ItsAsparageese]

I think it's all about the context/overall narrative tone, not the specific comparison or lack thereof itself. Yeah for sure voluntary vanlifers with quality setups shouldn't act precious about how _harrrd_ it is when some of us are out here pooping in grocery bags to sneakily throw out lol, but also it's appropriate for voluntary vanlifers to not go out of their way to distance themselves from us in the homeless crowd, because it can get very "Ew, no! I'm not like _those_ people! I would never end up like that!" in subtext, depending on how it's presented. I think the latter context/tone is more what Tiffany seems to be critical of, and I appreciate that, because the fact is we're all on a spectrum of hard times and there's no hard line to gatekeep about, it's more shades of gray. I've been homeless for years, on sidewalks and in the woods and now mostly in cars -- and now I just barely think I'm still sliiiiightly more homeless than I am digital nomad, because yeah I'm on my quality fancy laptop setup but I'm doing it in random parking spots in a city trying to not get moved along by cops too often rather than being able to pay for campground spots or whatever lol. For me personally that's roughly where I'd draw a line if I had to, but I still think any hard fast line would be arbitrary and do a disservice to the nuance of the situation. After all, is quality of life not a necessity? At the end of the day literally everything is a choice, everyone has their own priorities. There've been times I could have gotten a normal place if I'd given up my dogs but I'd sooner give up on life than lose my girls as long as I can still give them a happy life and great care, so I choose my priorities that to me are needs but to others might be a voluntary luxury. Point is, anyone living a cheaper lifestyle than they have previously led has their reasons, and it's not fair for me to push my personal values/definitions of "need" or "sacrifice" onto others. If they feel they need to switch to vanlife and it brings them stressors that are okay trade-offs for them, then sure that looks different from my homelessness history, but also there are ways we can relate and I don't feel a need to exclude them from the big happy transience party. 🤷‍♂️

[@zoegardner9540]

@@ItsAsparageese Thanks for sharing your experience, that's really enlightening.

[@rasputozen]

"It costs less to house people than to police the unhoused." Can we all just ask ourselves what we're doing?

[@nomanejane5766]

girl, people don't want to forgive student loan debt cuz they had to pay theirs, and u think they gonna be ok w housing the homeless?

[@sinnsage]

so many ppl are asking that and it doesn’t seem to do anything

[@Tenshi6Tantou6Rei]

@@nomanejane5766 see that kind of attitude is why problems don't get solved. If you wanna solve like a math problem, you don't go "well I had to do the long way last time, why should he get to use a calculator?" you just be happy the problem is solved and you can turn in your group project

[@seabreeze4559]

it's the banks the banks back loans they know cannot be paid back, it's the banks propping up housing and refusing to lower valuations to keep them higher on the books the banks own the houses

[@TheMrsarahanne90]

Capitalism. We're doing capitalism.

[@jessip8654]

I know from experience that once you're more than one person living in a van (or tiny house or studio apartment) it becomes a bit of a nightmare. I love my spouse to death but the point where we were forced to live in a single tiny room together with no space away from each other was the worst point in our marriage by a country mile. So when I see these smiling happy couples (or families) in these little vans I can't help but wonder how much they're fighting when the camera's off.

[@thinkfirst1989]

I think it depends on the personalities of the people. Some people, and I'm one of them, 100% need periods solitude to like think clearly and be creative. I definitely get bitchy when I don't get that so I feel you. But some people are more social and love always being together.

[@tacrewgirl]

Agreed 100%. The only way I can see it working for families is if you're in permanent locations for a few weeks and have a second car to run errands to go into town and such. You'd need to adhere to a schedule for the kids and have some kind of online homeschooling or interaction with other kids.

[@lisasetiawan3552]

Oh i never thought about it but now you mention it, me and my partner tend to cool off alone before talking out our problom. Wonder how they do it

[@saraheerie]

@@thinkfirst1989 I agree. My boyfriend and I lived in a small room together our first 3 years together and now, 14 years later even though we have a 2 bedroom apartment we still choose to spend almost all our free time together. However I work from home and he’s a dance teacher, so we do spend a good chunk of time apart during the week lol.

[@islab2458]

My wife and I did bare-bones van life in the back of a 2003 Dodge Caravan (not a Grand Caravan) for 6 months at a time a few times. It was the weather, Texas summer days while my wife worked night-shifts (we were stationary) and so needed to sleep in the daytime, which drove us back into apartments since we didn't have a sufficient way of keeping cool. Despite all the external factors that made VL hellish for us, our being stuck together in the same space most hours of the day for months on end was more than fine for us. We're both rather clingy people and miss each other immensely after just a week apart, so close-quarters dingy van life was no problem for us as people. We've been together for 5 years this year and we've had maybe two serious "fights" since we've known each other. We didn't feel crowded by each other any more than we felt crowded by anything else in our space, and we definitely never get tired of each other's presence (we actually have to make sure we Stop talking long enough to get things done most of the time). Some people are just. . . like this. We exist.

[@ItsAsparageese]

Obviously haven't gotten to watch the whole thing yet, but as someone who's still living in a truck because carlife originally chose me years ago, thank you for discussing this topic! It's been downright surreal to see the less-poor version of my lifestyle that I've had to work _up_ to become slowly normalized. It's gotten to the point where I identify as homeless in almost a defensive way, like being a youngish woman and a student doesn't make me any less homeless than I was a few years ago just because it's getting trendy to live in vehicles now, it's not okay to otherify my unhoused peers of less doteable demographics. I'm really looking forward to seeing vanlife and the housing crisis analyzed TOGETHER instead of just the usual examples I see of most of society treating the two things as very separate and romanticizing one and stigmatizing the other.

[@annatighe8629]

I went to the beach last summer when I was living in my car and a girl saw and understood that I was doing so. She asked how I got started in van life and where I got my equipment etc. I told her I was homeless and she literally turned heel and headed towards the water. The fact that my clarification disgusted her when seconds earlier she had seen my situation as aspirational still enrages and depresses me.

[@lindalnd90]

@@annatighe8629 WOW

[@rubyatarah]

All love to you

[@ItsAsparageese]

@@rubyatarah Thanks for the kindness 😊🙏💚

[@ItsAsparageese]

@@annatighe8629 Wow, I'm so sorry to hear that. What a crappy experience :( I can't say I've ever had anyone be that openly judgmental to my face. I'm so glad it sounds like you know that that was about a problem with her, not a problem with you. Thanks for choosing to be transparently homeless in that morning and being part of the wave of education that the public so desperately needs, so that they learn we're not all stereotypes and it can happen to anyone. 💚

[@LindsayDaly]

Ironically I am watching this while sitting in the Chevy Express cargo van that I am building out right now. Honestly before I started looking for a van, I was so confused by a lot of the van life channels on youtube, they made it seem like you could grab a good, reliable used van for like $4000. Hell. No. Let me tell you, there is NO such thing as a reliable used van in good condition for under like 10k. When people say they bought a '96 van for 4k?? It's literally about to die, it's on its last legs! That's crazy. It'll either die on you after putting a bunch of work into it, or it'll need constant pricy repairs. Cost of the van itself notwithstanding, it's incredibly expensive to make a van like the 'aesthetic' ones you see. I'm already coming up on about $20k, including the van itself, mechanic costs, and building materials and tools. It's a rewarding experience building something like this, but I won't pretend like it's accessible to everyone! Quite the opposite. It's extremely inaccessible.

[@baleek4367]

I’m curious, despite everything you just said, what makes you still pursue van life? Very curious ! Thanks ! And good luck on setting up the van !

[@LindsayDaly]

@@baleek4367 A couple of factors really! COVID was a big motivator for me I suppose personally - I always liked backpacking and camping, but last summer it was one of the only ways to take a break, and I fell further in love with it. But camping in New England is very different from other, more open parts of the United States. Since I've always wanted to go camping on the West coast, and traveling is still kind of in a weird spot right now, I decided to go for it! I (hopefully!) plan to visit every National Park in the US eventually.

[@baleek4367]

@@LindsayDaly that truly a ounds like a beautiful experience! Enjoy and be safe !

[@krn2683]

Do you think the price of a van may have something to do with where you live? I'm asking because $10k would buy you a really nice used truck where I live. Vans are cheap as dirt here, I don't think I've ever seen a van priced at even $4k. Most are between $1000 and $2500.

[@Izzyjean]

Well you can get a good reliable mini van for that price

[@yourambitioniskey]

the distinction between "van life" and "homeless" really vibes the same as the distinction between "ex-pat" and "immigrant". Mostly those who are van-life and ex-pat make a point to seperate themselves from being called homeless or an immigrant as though those labels simply don't apply to them. they "chose" this life they weren't forced into it. the attempt to seperate themselves and paint a beautiful, aspirational and whiter picture really doesn't sit well with me.

[@veronicawilson7594]

As someone from the US who is hoping to immigrate to my chosen home in the UK people are shocked I would give up my US citizenship. They see it as giving up being an expat in favor of being an immigrant and immigration is so stigmatised. I'm not ashamed to say the country I was born in just doesn't have the resources and infrastructure I need to survive let alone thrive, and no one should be ashamed for seeking a better life

[@KittyKat-vb1nd]

Western white privilege. I detest that lot .I'm black British female and if you want to see shallow, self absorbed colonialism Go to SE Asia or Goa to see this nasty bunch. They go on about the simplistic life on cheap and make a huge us vs them distinction among the locals who rightfully hate the lot of them.

[@OpiaKitty]

@@KittyKat-vb1nd sorry for my ignorance, but in sa Asia and goa, the people there are shallow ?? Sorry im just confused

[@eleo_b]

@@OpiaKitty @Kitty Kat is saying that white privileged people travelling to SE Asia and Goa etc. pretend like they like the simple way of living there. Meanwhile, that do not associate themselves with the local people at all.

[@OpiaKitty]

@@eleo_b ohhh I see,, thanks for telling me

[@noer2453]

I struggle to understand the "van life is a rejection of capitalism" when willful van life, especially the one carried out to by influencers is just neoliberalism, the new form of capitalism. It is just a way to market yourself, and your brand, and, more than anything, remove yourself from social groups and seek the solution to your problems through individuality. Like I'm not saying this people shouldn't do what makes them happy, but that they are doing it inside of a capitalist framework, just a different one.

[@OkayDesiree]

I very much agree

[@AK-jt9gx]

I agree, but I ask in return - how is one supposed to live completely outside a capitalist framework in a capitalist country? In my eyes, van life is at least a bigger rejection of capitalism than traditional house/apartment living.

[@h8a1c3]

@@AK-jt9gx one can't escape capitalism if that's the economic structure where they live.

[@yoshita4140]

@dreamland bro this is genuinely the funniest thing i've ever read😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@yoshita4140]

@dreamland no, but the fact that you think you're living in a communist structure is genuinely the most hilarious thing i've ever come across. of course, when communism fails, it's communism. and when capitalism fails, it's... also communism.

[@michellemarie1197]

That janitor was working, and was in an unused lot, not bothering anyone, and he gets it taken away, that's so sad.

[@CaptainSoftboy501]

Like fr. Who was the janitor harming???

[@Companion92]

Some people just really hate the poor. Sucks when they are the ones in power

[@tacticallemon7518]

@@Companion92 well, that opens the door for a very interesting conversation Poor people existing remind rich people what their hoarding is doing, because printing more money causes inflation, money is functionally finite Following that logic: being rich (hoarding a finite resource) is inherently harmful rich people don’t like being reminded the harm they’re doing and because rich people have more power over the economy than the end consumer, they get special attention from politicians which creates a system where entire industries are inescapable, effectively giving them complete control over parts of the government because consumers can’t *not* consume

[@solarhydrowind]

15:53 discussion of homelessness

[@anika1883]

This was such an interesting topic for me to think about. In my country, the Netherlands, it's pretty much illegal to 'camp' in parking lots. Which would be problematic for homeless people, but we do have social housing here. There is a second problem though, a lack of houses. What we see in bigger cities, Amsterdam, Utrecht, etc., is that people who in theory could afford housing, so people who have regular and decent income, simply cannot find housing. This is partially an economic and population density problem. But there is another really important cause: tourism. Since the invention of renting websites like Airbnb a lot of regular housing has been turned into tourist housing. This is a huge problem in many cities, not just in the Netherlands. The regular population of these cities gets pushed out of their city to make room for tourists. Governments are trying to regulate this phenomenon, but it's really complicated. Tourism is necessary in many of these cities. It's a huge part of many economies around the world and many individuals make their income from it. The introduction of airbnb and such is partially good, because it leads to more people being able to make money off of tourism. The downside is huge, though. It leads to inhabitants of these cities being forced to leave their hometown. If this process continues, these cities are destined to turn into tourist attractions, like some sort of themepark, instead of actual cities with people and stories and lives. If you want to make more videos about housing, I think this might be an interesting topic to consider. I don't know how applicable this phenomenon is to America, but it's at least a huge problem in Europe. Amsterdam, Dublin, Paris, Londen, etc. are all dealing with huge housing crises but growing tourist sectors. Instead of investing in proper hotels and hostels, people are now using regular housing to house tourists. A good but scary example is Venice, in Italy. The population has shrunk from 175.000 to 53.000 in the last couple of decades, mostly due to tourism. While the population is 53.000, they get about 82.000 tourists a day. Tourists are literally pushing Venitians out of their amazing city. The city is literally dying to make room for people who want to take a pretty instagram picture and make a trip with a gondola. Tourism isn't bad, it's inherently good. But it's also destroying the world in many ways. Climate-wise (please take trains when possible, flying is awful), but also culture-wise. The cultures of these amazing cities are disappearing because people from these cities are disappearing. These cities hold enormous and complicated histories, stories and architecture, which is mostly kept alive by its inhabitants. At the one hand, I understand Airbnb. It's cheaper and hotels are kinda cultureless, in my opinion. But I will continue to boycott Airbnb because it's destroying our cities, and that's a hill I will die on. Maybe you could consider this topic for a video. From the perspective of housing and the division of wealth, or from the perspective of tourism and its pros and cons, but it's a huge issue in many 'touristy' cities and countries at the moment. Van-life could be a partial solution for this, but that is actually not (yet) a phenomenon here. It's also more a temporary solution than a permanent one, I think regulations in tourist housing is more useful. Maybe something to think about.

[@tiffanyferg]

Yes Airbnb is a big problem in the US as well, same issues! I’ve used and enjoyed Airbnb many times, I think the experience can be great, but there’s such a difference between someone renting out their place or a room while they’re out of town for a bit, and entire homes / apartments being dedicated to Airbnb full time, limiting the available housing for full time residents. We definitely need more regulation on this; now I am inspired to do more research hahaha thank you 💛

[@clarence5211]

indeed! this has also driven up prices pretty much everywhere else in the country, with people who sell their homes in the city being able to outbid locals suburbs and rural areas. the problem is indeed complex, and it hasn’t been helped by the shortage of social housing and the increase in temporary rental contracts (in the private sector)

[@krissy55066]

​@@tiffanyferg I bought a camper to live in when I took a job in a remote, yet upscale ski town. They just made a program where you could be one of (I think) 9 recreational vehicles/campers/vans for the winter ski season. The housing is so expensive that employees are having to live over an hour of mountain driving away. A lot of the housing is being transformed into luxury short-term rentals for tourists instead of "meeting the bare minimum standards" affordable housing. After that season, I've been having a really hard time finding anywhere cheap to move. Living in a camper is a lot of work too!

[@drawndy6761]

Sadly this is also happening in LATAM, specially in Mexico, gentrification is displacing the mexicans and rent has skyrocketed in touristic cities bc of these people. And it's even worse with the americans trying to "educate" us or trying to impose ther language, like if I went to the US you would make me speak english and adapt to your traditions, why sould I start to speak english when I am in my home country? But the housing programs that were mentioned aren't really a thing or are just starting so..yeah, it's going to become hell. I would love to see her expand the topic, I love her videos ❤

[@brandycandy100]

Literally saw an episode of Unsolved Mysteries where decades ago, a couple had their 6 kids taken away and were briefly incarcerated because they couldn't afford a house and were living out of a school bus. Now, you see people on social media living out of vans and school buses like it's fun and trendy...

[@12Sarahgirl]

Well I’m not saying it’s right for them to be incarcerated, but having six kids plus yourselves living out of a school bus is a lot different than a couple of adults. I’m sure the school bus wasn’t converted into an actual livable space, and it’s neglect at that point because I’m sure they couldn’t provide six kids with all that they needed.

[@quickgirl80]

I think we humans forget that modern conveniences are well modern. My grandma grew up with no indoor plumbing here in America & that was normal, and had been normal for past hundreds & thousands of years. Now that we have running water & electricity (which can be taken away from us without warning with our fragile infrastructure) now it’s a punishable crime to live without it?

[@raapyna8544]

@@quickgirl80 I would be concerned about the heating, beds, and personal space and light for doing homework, not so much the running water and flushable toilet.

[@rachelk4805]

@@12Sarahgirl So what? You think the best outcome for those kids is putting them in a broken foster care system, breaking up their family? Why couldn't they just help them find more adequate housing? What century is it?

[@MsTinkerbelle87]

@@quickgirl80 please never breed🤦🏼‍♀️

[@foreverhilaryy]

I find that a lot of the top van lifers start it to travel and start social media to get the platform and career boost. After a couple of years, they buy a house and buy a bunch of expensive stuff that’s completely against what was once their ‘minimalist’ lifestyle.

[@raven3moon]

@@Keroppi19 Maybe, but not necessarily. For some, that may have been their end-goal from the start.

[@foreverhilaryy]

@@raven3moon agreed. I feel like a lot of the van lifers you see now, it's for the clout and attention that it brings. which is fine, but it's really easy to spot the raw van lifers vs the ones who just want to be showy and put on a fake image

[@andrewsteavpack9079]

You can live a minimal lifestyle in a mid sized house just as well as in a tiny home or van, it’s about living with necessities and the things you do own are long-lasting, high quality, and often multipurpose. Your needs change over time and needs change based on an adapting lifestyle but you will need more or less things based on these needs.

[@dddakotarose]

It's okay, you can say Eamon and Bec

[@erikasatya5394]

​@@raven3moon This is right. Some people see living in a car as a stepping stone to save money to be able to afford life in proper living conditions. With no rental cost, no utility bills, and traveling in an instant, it's definitely a smart but challenging short-term lifestyle to take on. I do remember while studying at UC Santa Cruz (where it's notoriously difficult to buy and rent a place as you start in the moneymaking world) that one of my classmates would say he would drive to Panther Beach outside of the city and sleep there for a few hours before getting back up, re-hygiene at the rec center, do homework, and continue classes or hanging out with friends who also knew about his situation. He did this in all four years at college and he's now able to live on his own in Denver with the money he saved.

[@reiinon]

blueland reminds me of when my hispanic mother would tell me "don't throw away the soap bottle, it's not empty, just fill it with water". they should hire her

[@shart8008]

not hispanic but my grandma used to be like this too! Either way, i think tablet thing is pretty cool :0

[@thethrowawaythatstayed7055]

@@shart8008 this is mum to a tee haha

[@karaleigh_eva]

My family does this too lol I wonder how many years ago it turned into pure water Although there are still some suds 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@victai7014]

lol my asian mom does this too and when i found out some people dont i was like ???? theres still soap in them

[@nervousbreakdown711]

@@victai7014 If my spray bottles weren’t trash I’d absolutely just buy the soap. Alas 🥺

[@Author.Noelle.Alexandria]

From someone forced there: We ended up homeless when our landlord decided on short notice to not renew our lease as she was moving her daughter and son-in-law into the house after they were evicted for not paying their own rent. My husband, our toddler, and I ended up in a cramped little old RV, and it was miserable. We also had two cats and two golden retrievers. It was a tin can in summer, and in the winter, freezing. We went through so, so much propane in a week, and more than once I woke up in tears since it was so cold and I was so worried about our daughter. It was hard buying food when we couldn’t store much. Gallons of milk because quarts at a time for only about 50 cents less than the gallon. We couldn’t take advantage of sales. Since our RV was so old, we couldn’t stay at any campground for more than a few weeks. (Most campgrounds limit RVs over a certain age to three weeks, and only in a designated part of the campground, while newer ones are in prime areas away from the old ones.). It hurt not being able to let our daughter have more than a few toys. Where were we going to put them? She didn’t have a lot of what she needed. We had to tell her no significantly more than we could tell her yes. Birthdays became single cupcakes from the bakery counter at the grocery store since we didn’t have the space to keep a regular cake. Christmas trees became those things make to decorate the tops of tables around the house. The year she asked where Christmas was fucking killed us. We didn’t have the money to get her anything, not even a tree. Thing is, it’s more expensive when you didn’t choose this. Propane in winter was up to $400 per WEEK. Campgrounds, which we needed for the bathroom access and showers, were another $250-350 every week of the year. Our food costs were higher than ever. My husband worked for Apple the entire time, which is why we didn’t literally starve to death. But here’s the big thing-when you don’t choose this, it’s not so easy getting a place afterward. If you don’t have a landlord to list as a reference, few places will look twice at you. When it’s a choice, that’s not looked down upon so much, even if you weren’t actually working while you were prancing around in a fancy conversion. We only got out of it, after a few years, when we found an apartment willing to give us a $500-deposit and the first month’s rent free. It was a fucking miracle, and the managers ended up loving us (and overlooked that I wasn’t on the lease and that we had more animals than the lease actually allowed), and we were there a few years. The kicker? The first month we had rent we actually saved about $500. That’s right, it was less to live in an apartment. We didn’t have propane. We could buy in bulk. Our rent was about $300 more than a month of campgrounds, but the other expenses came down so much! When we left, it was because we bought a house. My husband’s asshole grandfather who no one liked died, and we got enough money for a down payment, which is just still mind blowing to me. Homeless to homeowners in under three years, by two massive strokes of luck. We’ve been in our house now going on six years, and we all still deal with trauma from our time having to live in that little old RV. Our daughter is a hoarder who constantly worries about what if we end up back there (she was 1-4 when we were in that, and she still remembers-kids remember more than we think), and she worries about money in a way no child should. I have severe anxiety about losing this house, and struggle to eat sometimes because I get too stressed, and other times I’ll want to eat all I can because what if there’s not enough next week? My husband has to handle all the bills. I have no clue how many we have, to be honest, and it has to be that way or else I will get anxiety that will spiral dangerously out of control. As long as I don’t know, we’re okay. My heart’s racing just thinking about it. It’s awful. My daughter spends her birthday in December passing out meals to homeless people. This is how she chooses to spend her day because she remembers. (For those curious, in the RV we all shared the bed, and RV Queen which is smaller than a regular queen, and there were no adult-times since there couldn’t be, and though we briefly considered rehoming our animals, we managed to keep them all. Three are now gone, buried in our backyard, and the last, a golden retriever, is almost 15.)

[@eleo_b]

What a story! That was a rough time, I can image you take that with you forever. One thing stood out to me though, I understand your anxiety and stress relating to finances and bills etc. But please, please, make sure you stay involved in the your family’s finances. You don’t know what life has in store for you, and if something happens, for example illness, at times like that, you do not want the added stress of learning about the bills to pay and the periodic expenses. I have seen several examples around me, where they got into deep financial trouble when the husband was unable to take care of the finances as usual and the wife did not know a single thing about it, no passwords, no budget plans or nothing. That on top of the stress of going in and out of hospital can quickly lead to late payments. Try and get yourself involved and learn a routine, so that that will not be something you have to worry about if worst comes to the worst. I understand where you’re coming from, but please take care of your financial awareness, don’t ignore it.

[@gingersal8052]

If you struggle with the bills, maybe get someone you trust to do them for you? And in exchange you can help them with something else. Anyway, I'm glad things finally got better for you, take care!

[@hufficag]

I want to write a short story based on this post. Probably next year. I publish with Phoenix in Beijing.

[@Roxality]

Bless you for keeping your animals through all that. I don’t shame people for rehoming and I try to offer education, compassion, and resources to people struggling. I run a rescue coordination network. Thank you for sharing your story. You touched my heart. Your daughter is precious !

[@katie323]

Great read, thank you for sharing your story! Have you ever considered writing about it? I hope you and your family heal

[@_noctivagus_]

The van life appeals to me because I've just finished being a student, rent is becoming harder to afford, and my parents' house is such a lovely LGBT welcoming place 🙄. But then I realise I can't afford the van either

[@heatburg]

yeah, i was thinking about that. when the "cheap" van conversion was $8500...tons of people can't afford THAT either.

[@maad1827]

We’re basically between a rock, a hard place, and a $10,000 van

[@avelynewalk9159]

hey man! i'm converting a van right now. you're right, vans are expensive! it depends on the area ofc. but I decided to invest in a minivan instead, the largest you can get is a grand caravan. the space is more limited and you're not going to be able to have everything you need contained within the space. but for me, it works. i spent about 2500 on my van, it took me about a month to find a minivan with good mileage and good shape. it requires some more work as you have to remove the inside to install insulation but I guarantee it's affordable and will be much cheaper than rent even within the year

[@_noctivagus_]

@@avelynewalk9159 hey, thanks for your insight and I hope van life is going well. I can't afford such amounts upfront right now but yeah I've heard many people say it's cheaper in total. Maybe 1 day.

[@planetvegan7843]

Avel - if you install a remote command start that shuts off after 10 mins idle and set the heat at max before you go to sleep. it is very handy at night if you wake up cold -- so you dont fall asleep with the engine running all night. Peace

[@laureno6196]

Thank you for mentioning hostile architecture. I truly think it’s one of the cruelest things in society. Preventing people from resting is a form of torture imo

[@animak757]

I fully agree. Hostile architecture is obviusly horrible for homeless people, but also makes the cities so much less walkable. Like, just getting heat attack and not being able to lay down is also awfull

[@tacticallemon7518]

@ceciliacole5098those lean benches for disabled people

[@user-vw2jq3to5e]

Thanks for bringing up the Romani, since “g*psy culture” is often appropriated by rich white “bohemian” types. (In fact, even the phrase “bohemian” derived from the Romani, since there was once a belief they originated from the region of Bohemia, and privledged artsy free spirited people appropriated the word). Just one nitpick - their written history wasn’t “lost” but rather this group historically never had a written literary language to record their own history so it was never written down in the first place (instead recorded by oral history).

[@TheMagicJIZZ]

Both of your points are partially wrong. It's a myth that the nomadic lifestyle was seen as cool and free. It's more historical myth Secondly your point about their language is so wrong. They like India and Pakistan share with Europeans a Indo-European language therefore the writing script was local to the Pashtun valley and people of northern Pakistan. They shared the same alphabet and culture related to Sanskrit otherwise we wouldn't be able to identify their words being related to Hindi

[@user-vw2jq3to5e]

@@TheMagicJIZZ Thanks for your input, but you’re incorrect. 1. I’m specifically referring to how the Bohemianist movement in France (from where we get the modern terms such as boho/bohemian fashion/etc) came into existence. Historically, yeah, nomadic peoples have often been looked down upon by settled peoples. But look up the Bohemianism movement since that was specifically what I referred to, and the thing that set the precedent for white appropriation of Romani culture etc. 2. Your second point is fairly nonsensical. I’m well aware that Romani shares similarities to Sanskrit, but that doesn’t mean Sanskrit texts are considered to be written in the Romani language - just like Latin texts aren’t considered to be in Spanish. Romani language standardization/first attempts at writing down Romani happened in the 20th century, in Eastern Europe. The reason we can tell that there is a link is because we have ancient Sanskrit texts AND living Romani speakers, giving us a linguistic comparison. On the flip side, if I’m wrong and you’re aware of any ancient Romani texts, please send them my way, since that would be a groundbreaking linguistic discovery.

[@seabreeze4559]

gypsy is not actually an insult in Europe, Americans hate the group but we quite like them so it's more reflective of American ignorance

[@raapyna8544]

@@seabreeze4559 Romani are discriminated all over Europe. They're the most discriminated non-immigrant group.

[@user-vw2jq3to5e]

@@seabreeze4559 what are you talking about?? On average, Romani people are much poorer than majority groups across European counties - they have poorer health outcomes, less wealth, and are stereotyped as theives and beggars in most European countries. They often live in slums or generally poorer neighborhoods, including in my county (the Balkans). Yeah, their music is highly respected, but it’s pretty alarming that (at least in the Balkans) the most prominent Romani people are famous musicians, while there are virtually none represented in the government or other powerful positions. You could easily draw a parallel to the United States of several decades ago, where Black artists were highly prominent but there were much fewer Black political figures than today. And about the word g*psy - if a large number of people from a minority insist that a word is derogatory or uncomfortable to them, then the least we can do is call them by their preferred name. It literally takes no effort.

[@foxbuns]

something id like to see discussed is why its so hard to get into a shelter. at least where i live. when i had nowhere else to go but to a shelter, they continually turned me away. i eventually found someone at the state housing association who would advocate for me. she made one phone call and got me into the shelter the same night. the workers of the shelter were apparently irritated and asked me how i managed to get an advocate. i noticed during my stay of weeks time that there were about 10 empty beds and yet i watched the staff turn every person away saying "we have no beds". i also distinctly remember the staff going thru donations that were dropped off and claiming the nicest things they wanted for themselves. the remainder was shoved into a storage shed and i never saw any person outside of the staff being given those things. the same thing seemed to happen with food; we were given stale cereal once a day, while there was a huge pantry full of a variety of food.

[@_TLC]

✝️✝️✝️

[@hufficag]

Which city was that?

[@monkiram]

Wow that's so awful......

[@tabularasa]

As someone currently living in a small, worn-out trailer, off-grid, up a mountain side, with limited cellular and no financial safety net (and it's pouring down rain today), I like the direction you took with this video. It seems like you struggled with it, which is understandable, because affordable housing in the 21st century is a crazy topic, but *it might also be one of the most socially important topics I've ever watched you cover.* This goes way beyond internet analysis. Well done. 👍 I relate to the mindset of the woman at 24:00 so thank you for including that clip. I've fortunately been parked in one place for about two years now (don't know how to be safely mobile during a viral pandemic 😳) but every day is still a challenge. I don't have Instagram, so I'm unfamiliar with the mobile lifestyle influencers, but it is interesting how life in capitalist society has pushed us to this point, in which some people live like this out of necessity, and some do it by choice, for aesthetics or environmentalism or attempting to leave behind corporate culture. This society isn't working for a lot of people... I hope you keep it up with the meaningful topics that go beyond the internet, encouraging critical thinking and real organizing from your audience ✊

[@ItsAsparageese]

I live in a Ford Explorer and bought a speck of land near Hartsel, CO to go start hunkering down on ... More in a valley than up the mountainsides, but if you're in the region at all, lmk if you'd like to be friends :) I relate hard to spending time alone in run-down conditions up mountainsides, and I find it's really nice sometimes to connect to other nomads who understand the lifestyle and can respect each other's hermit-space but also help each other in emergencies and such

[@harrypike5140]

I think it's also important to recognise that van-life and the associating culture is really only a possibility in somewhere like North-America. Much of Europe also has an equally problematic housing / property market, but we do not have the space, land, or freedom of living (regulation-wise) to allow for 'van-life' to be a viable alternative for 99% of people. I live in the UK and it's actually illegal to live in a van in most places, including national parks (where the only real 'wilderness' is). I mean, most European countries are basically the size of a single US state. We can't just 'up and move' somewhere else.

[@tabularasa]

​@@ItsAsparageese My mountain ridge is about 1500 miles away from your valley, but I appreciate the moral support and camaraderie :) Congrats on your speck of land. I hope you have a couple near-ish neighbors who are willing to be mutually supportive. I drove through Independence Pass about six years ago, through Twin Lakes, so not too far from your area, relatively speaking. That was the last time I was in Colorado. I hope you love most days. That state is truly wild, and the local humans have the most untamed, pioneering spirit of any people I've encountered in the USA. Enjoy & stay safe

[@tabularasa]

@@harrypike5140 I'm a little confused by your assertion here. I struggle to see its relevance to my comment, which was only meant to express my personal experience (and to encourage Tiffany Ferguson to continue to dive into more meaningful social commentary, expanding out beyond internet analysis). I also question the veracity of your statement, especially since Tiffany wisely spent about two minutes of this video explaining how Romani people have worked seasonally and lived nomadically across Europe. This seems to show that an itinerant life is certainly possible outside of North America. I acknowledge that Europe has less space than North America, but perhaps you don't realize that regulations are fierce here, too. A lot of camping that nomadic people do is unauthorized. That's part of the culture, a little bit, anyway. You could get a loud knock on your window at 5AM, and you'd better be ready to move on very quickly. It's illegal to live in a van in national parks here, too. You can pay for the daily campsite, but depending on individual park rules, you are limited in how long you can stay. Some places it's only five days, in most National Forest lands it's 14 days, and I think for Bureau of Land Management lands it's 21 days. Some road side rest stops in some states will allow you to stay as long as eight hours (no cost, but no camping). Walmart parking lots are famous for allowing customers to park their vans and RVs for free up to 24 hours. But the bottom line is, there's a lot of illegal camping going on, because finding a legal space to rest is always a challenge, especially during the high season. I'm not sure about your "99% of people" figure, because usually when folks make a declaration including that figure, they have sourced it from somewhere in the vicinity of their rear end. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but perhaps you are not giving enough consideration to the Europeans who do embrace an unconventional lifestyle, regardless of the associated hardships. Yes, European countries are relatively small, but with the European Union, isn't it quite possible to "up and move" and go work elsewhere within the Union? (I understand that the UK is excluded from this now, and I'm sorry about Brexit.) But to bring it all back to the most important underlying issue here, so much of this speculation about nomadic culture comes down to the crisis of affordable housing. It's a grave problem all over the world; you are absolutely right about that. The causes are similar from region to region, and it mostly comes down to capitalist policies and a lack of regulations on banks and property owners. These things have the effect of running roughshod over normal people who just want an affordable place to live. We're in this mess together, and it's up to normal people to stand up, speak out, join forces, and foster changes to the system. ✌

[@ItsAsparageese]

@@tabularasa Awww thank you! Us Coloradans can be pretty full of ourselves when it comes to pride in our people and this beautiful place, so I try to assume that's mostly just our perception of things and keep my ego under control lol -- so it's very sweet to hear the positive things reinforced by someone objective! 😁 I do love it here, I'm so grateful we have the mountains right here as a big reasonably wild backyard. I feel for people who are in states where they can't be as privileged to go from a city to a beautiful remote area within just a couple hours of driving. I hope things are lovely and the people are kind where you're at, as well!

[@seanmcgovern8789]

An ethnic group here in Ireland are the Travelling Community and there’s a ridiculous amount of racism towards them. They don’t get offered jobs the same as “settled” people and are, in my opinion, discriminated against in education.

[@tiffanyferg]

Yes I want to read more about Irish Travellers next, I’m amazed I hadn’t really heard of these communities until the last few years. Classic American education that ignores anything beyond our borders I guess!

[@darrellm9915]

Racism from whom? The ethnic travellers are the same race as every other White Irish person, except their ethnic and genetic differences.

[@DoraWinifred]

@@darrellm9915 where are you from? You do realise the Irish experienced racism alongside black people. There were signs all over the uk that would say “no blacks, no Irish, no dogs” there is not as much stigma with the settled Irish today but the Irish travellers definitely still experience it, Ive seen and heard this.

[@darrellm9915]

@@DoraWinifred That was xenophobia mostly from White Americans thinking the Irish were another race, when they clearly weren't. This doesn't have anything to do with the comment above though. My point was that the Native Irish people, along with the ethnic settlers, are the same race. So it's not "racism" but nothing more than pure discrimination. Unless this was coming from people of a different background, then yes it obviously would be considered racist.

[@seanmcgovern8789]

@@darrellm9915 I said racism because they’ve been classified as an ethic group by our government and they’ve been discriminated against just for being travellers, with slurs like the K word being used against them. I don’t a better word to describe it. If there’s a different word please tell me.

[@user-es7ui5mc1m]

I'm not done with the video yet but I also feel like surely these people have some sort of home address, somewhere their government mail gets sent, where they store stuff (like surely they have some stuff, like documents that aren't important enough to take everywhere but too important to throw away or even just childhood memorabilia), etc., even if it's just their parents house. That's such an additional layer of privilege because it usually means if it all goes to sh*t (like worst-case scenario, the entire van gets stolen or they total it or whatever) they have somewhere they know they can go. Or even if they don't they have to money to just rent an airbnb for a few months. Idk just the layer of security I feel like is super important in discussing this because I live in a tiny apartment that I share with 2 roommates (we're all students) and I am the only one out of us 3 who doesn't have parents or a home to go back to (dad is dead, mother cut me off) and it sometimes feels so claustrophobic and anxiety-inducing because this space is (and feels) super temporary and I've had lots of different roommates within the past 1.5 years because they changed every few months/semester or so (with covid, a lot of them decided to move back home after a while because they didn't see the point in online lectures) and it feels like I don't really have a home at all (even though I really like this space and made an effort to make my room as cozy as possible!)

[@tiffanyferg]

Yes these are great points! It certainly is a massive privilege to be able to store things at someone’s home, or even have your old bedroom to go back to if necessary.

[@nally206]

I'm in a similar situation to you and I know how it feels. You've made it this far, good on you.

[@tabularasa]

I can relate to your words, and I feel sad when I read, "it sometimes feels so claustrophobic and anxiety-inducing because this space is temporary." The best advice that I can offer, from my own experience of moving around a lot, from temporary place to temporary place, without a home base, is this: It's all temporary. Life itself is temporary. You might be less fortunate in that you don't have that safety net that some others do, but you can make peace with the fact that you are able to make a place "home" wherever you are, even if it's just a brief time. Those skills are important, and they help to make you an adaptable, resilient person. Worry is for the past, anxiety is for the future, but the more we live in the present moment, the more comfort and peace our lives have.

[@monicaholman6023]

yeah i relate to this too, i moved to this city for uni but every winter or summer break someone asks me "so youre going back home for the break?" and im just like where?? this is home now, this is where i go back to

[@zimbu_]

I live in Finland and here it's possible to set your official address as "Poste Restante" where it's stored for a period of time at a postal office of your choice, and you simply go pick it up there. I'm sure an American who has experienced homelessness can explain how mail works for the homeless there.

[@Heenanveenan]

On the topic of “van lifers” creating the distinction of “houseless” and “homeless” I think it’s important to note that although it may very well be because they don’t wanna associate themselves with “homeless” people based on classism, it could also be that exact same sentiment, but meant in the opposite way, as in they have different intentions by making that distinction. When creepshowart was claiming she was “homeless” for a long time, people were pretty upset to find out she was willingly doing the van life, and I would say rightfully so. I would imagine that people would be pretty upset if any filthy rich person living out of a van were to claim they’re “homeless” even if their intentions are that they’re not afraid to be associated with the lower class and if they’re just saying it as a matter of fact. Technically, yes, you are without a home, but you are not homeless in that you’ve experienced this out of poverty.

[@kubus902]

I think you're right, people who choose to not have kids call themselves child-free instead of childless for a similar reason.

[@nannettefreeman7331]

As someone who was homeless in every conceivable form (cheap motels, vehicles, shelters, tents, on the beach & on the sidewalk with nothing more than a blanket) for 6 years & 4 months, 3 years of which I was strictly "Vanlife" at the end, let me explain that there is a HUGE difference between living in a tent & living in a van, & I think it MOSTLY has to do with the ability to relocate quickly if someone objects to your presence or the cops show up. There's also the increased protection from the elements, & the fact you can have more elaborate bedding, which increases your comfort. And there's the fact that you can lock your doors, providing more privacy & security. I never stopped identifying as "homeless," though, since my circumstances were not voluntary & I would have preferred traditional housing 100% of the time. However, once I had the van, I could not remove myself from the subculture of homelessness quickly enough. I immediately stopped going to places where the homeless congregate, & stopped associating with other homeless people. There were a number of reasons for that. For starters, I was inundated with requests from homeless people I knew to store "valuables," charge their cell phone, take shelter when it rained, or to partake of their drug of choice, & got a lot of attitude if I denied these requests. It was as if I was obligated to share the benefits having a van provided with everyone within the homeless community, out of some sort of solidarity. My stance was that the space was too small to be running a storage facility out of it & I did not want to be responsible for other people's belongings, & there certainly was not room for a 2nd person. Plus, any one of them could do the same as I had done & sock away a little money each month until they could afford a van of their own! Why should I diminish my enjoyment of the van I saved up to purchase to açcommodate someone to whom the same option was available? I realize that sounds a lot like the sentiments that housed people have for the homeless that occupy their neighborhoods, but believe me, buying a van is a far more attainable goal for the homeless than securing traditional housing. It was difficult to say "no" when it was raining outside, which is why I stopped going to locations where I knew I was likely to run in to other homeless people. Kind of a weenie maneuver on my part, I suppose, but I couldn't shelter EVERYONE from the rain, & where do you draw that line, so better just to avoid having to make hard choices like that. Shout out to Del Taco (a West coast fast food chain, for those of you unfamiliar) that always, at every location I've ever been to, allowed the homeless to take shelter inside when it was raining & always allowed the homeless to charge their phones & use the restrooms. Their universally compassionate treatment of the homeless leads me to believe it must be company-wide policy, but I've never confirmed that. Another factor I my avoidance of places the homeless frequent & my dissociation with other homeless people was that "regular" people aren't nearly as intimidated by the presence of one person living in a van (especially a 50-ish woman & her adorable little dog, who was diligent about keeping the area around my van clean) as they are about multiple homeless people, which starts to feel like an encampment, & produces more trash to have to dispose of. The homeless are a far more sympathetic group when you view them individually, & can digest their unique story of what brought them to their current situation, than when you look at them as a group & start seeing patterns like drug & alcohol abuse, mental illness, criminal activity, etc. From the inside, I could clearly see that all these things came as a RESULT of being homeless, & are not CAUSES, but to someone on the outside, I understand that they are almost universally viewed as the reasons people become homeless. Correlation does not imply causation. But try to explain that to someone who has never been caught up in the dismal reality of homelessness, & well, it's just easier to distance yourself from the others & not be subjected to the stigma quite as frequently. And lastly, stereotypes don't just come out of nowhere. Many chronically homeless people have given up on caring about the opinions of people who don't care about them. They develop this, "Well what do you expect me to do?" attitude about trash, relieving themselves, partaking of drugs & alcohol in public, etc because their whole existence is "in public" for everyone to see. They COULD make the effort to keep cleaner campsites & be more discreet with certain activities, but ultimately, no matter how much you TRY to hide the fact that you're relieving yourself in the bushes, there's always the chance that someone is watching you. And, as I alluded to before, why go to the effort of trying to be considerate to people who don't extend any consideration to you? They fail to understand that by making that effort, they are making their own lives easier, & improving the overall image of homeless people as a group, thereby reducing the amount of conflict with nearby residents & businesses, & interactions with the police, & increasing the chances that public opinion of the homeless will turn, & more people will be willing to help solve the problem. I understood that. I always used to say, "I lost my home, not the values & standards I was brought up with." I think it's important to not resign yourself to living "the homeless lifestyle" if you hope to ever re-integrate back into society, but you can't impose your beliefs on others & you can't control their actions. I never lowered my standards of what was acceptable behavior or conditions more than what was absolutely necessary, & strove to continue living the same way I did when housed, only minus the house. The only way I could make it evident to the community where I live that I was not like the stereotype they had in their minds was to distance myself from the others as much as possible. And refraining from drugs &/or alcohol when you are submerged in a subculture where their use runs rampant, surrounded by temptation everywhere you look, is virtually impossible, but not that hard when you are able to stop associating with people who are still using these things as a coping mechanism to deal with a reality they cannot bear to be fully "present" in. That's why the "housing first" approach to solving homelessness yields far greater success in the long run than other strategies. I'm fortunate to live in a beach community where hot showers are available 7 days a week for anyone willing to make their way to the beach. That made Vanlife more workable too. At night, I parked near our local hospital, which is surrounded by medical offices & related businesses, not homes, which generally don't open till 8 or 9 in the morning (giving me time to move before anyone had reason to complain, even if that was 10 or 11am) & close by 6 in the evening (so no one, save overnight hospital staff, was really sure if I'd been there all night or not), & on the weekends it was like a ghost town. In 3 years of parking up & down the same street, I never once had an interaction with police. Occasionally, staff from the hospital or convalescent home would bring me snacks or bottled water, but mostly they just left me alone, smiling & saying "hello" if they crossed my path when I walked my dog, quite like neighbors. With just a little thought & planning, it's possible to live a relatively peaceful, safe & comfortable life in a van, which is a far cry from being out there in the streets. Would I CHOOSE it over paying rent for traditional housing? Never. But in the big picture, it wasn't all that bad. When people asked if I was homeless, I simply replied that I lived in my van, neither embracing nor rejecting the term "homeless." Sometimes I would jokingly refer to myself as "housing challenged." Occasionally I would declare that I was a "VanLifer" with equal irreverence. I certainly felt less homeless than I did living in a tent in an encampment, but far from having the comforts of a REAL home. I'd say this holds true for most people living in van's out of necessity rather than choice, at least those that I know. So, even the homeless living I van's are not so quick to embrace the term "homeless," while still understanding that, in the big scheme of things, that's what they are.

[@Ricechrispens]

I’ve definitely romanticized van life and tiny houses- I think those ideas came from the underlying belief that I would never be able to afford to buy a house and don’t like the idea of paying rent forever.

[@Lolypops369]

The sad part is, I agree 100%! Where I have grown up is so unattainable that I have to leave just to afford a a starter home.I dream to live in a small home on acres of land.

[@edward.abraham]

📍To my own research In USA, individuals living in cars and vans due to partial homelessness result from a complex interplay of factors. High housing costs relative to income, stagnant wages, and income inequality drive this issue. Job loss, weak social support, medical expenses, evictions, and lack of affordable housing also contribute, while systemic problems and inadequate policies further perpetuate the phenomenon.

[@james.atkins88]

Considering the present situation, diversifying by shifting investments from real estate to financial markets or gold is recommended, despite potential future home price drops. Given prevailing mortgage rates and economic uncertainty, this move is prudent, particularly due to stricter mortgage regulations. Seeking advice from a knowledgeable independent financial advisor is advisable for those seeking guidance.

[@hunter-bourke21]

I've remained in touch with a financial analyst since the start of my business. Amid today's dynamic market, the key difficulty is pinpointing the right time to buy or sell when dealing with trending stocks - a seemingly simple task but challenging in reality. My portfolio has grown by more than 5 figures within just a year, and i have entrusted my advisor with the task of determining entry and exit points.

[@rebecca_burns14]

@@hunter-bourke21 Could you guide me on how to get in touch with your advisor?

[@hunter-bourke21]

Mary Onita Wier, is the coach that guides me, you probably might have come across her before I found her through a Newsweek report. She's quite known in her field, look-her up.

[@veronica.baker1]

Thank you for the information. I conducted my own research and your advisor appears to be highly skilled and knowledgeable. I've sent her an email and arranged a phone call.

[@martianpudding9522]

The difference between homelessness and van life reminds me of the difference between being childless (not having kids despite wanting and trying to) and being childfree (not having kids because you don't want to). Being childfree isn't glamorized in the way van life is, but in principle I do think that you should be able to live your life the way you want to and if other people have been forced by circumstance to be in the ssme position as you against their will, that shouldn't invalidate your personal choice.

[@foxbuns]

except for the fact that when you choose to not have a child, it doesnt affect whether you have a place to live. feels like an apples to basketballs comparison, there isnt a commonality there. its not about being able to choose to live how you want, thats an obvious given. its about how people are glamourizing vanlife folks on instagram, rather than caring about people freezing to death under a bridge because theyve been turned away by shelters that have open beds (something ive seen happen myself)

[@Author.Noelle.Alexandria]

@@foxbuns You missed the point. There is a big difference between not having something despite desperately wanting it, and not having something by choice. When it’s not by choice, it hurts.

[@martianpudding9522]

@@foxbuns I think they are similar in the sense that they are both tragic if they happen against a person's will, but can also be valid choices if a person does want them. Someone freely choosing to live in a van shouldn't be considered to be an insult against homeless people, just as choosing not to have children shouldn't be considered an insult against people who are childless against their will. (of course people in those groups still have the ability to be assholes against homeless and childless people, but the choice in isolation is neutral)

[@wiildsage]

I was honestly so nervous when this showed up in my subscription feed as someone who does live in a van and who definitely lives in the weird gray area of “I’m definitely doing this because I want to, but also it’s a good thing I want to do it because my husband lost his job during COVID and there’s no way we could continue to afford rent on our current income so I hope I keep enjoying it indefinitely” because I think so many people who are outside of the subculture really misunderstand it and miss a lot of the nuances (particularly those around income), but you honestly did SUCH a good job covering pretty much everything I would’ve said. Thank you so much for really doing your research and putting in the effort to not just be like “thing bad” or “thing good”, it’s so so so refreshing

[@annalang5687]

I have such a love hate relationship with van life influencers. On one hand, I personally think it's the ideal way to travel, on the other hand, the transition of the content from people just documenting their travels out of their vans to living this weird instagram aesthetics live love laugh romanticized version of van life is jarring to watch. I do realise that travelling by van, living in a van and having to live in a van are three different things. I just wanted to note that I definitely noticed a change in what content is being produced and how the "lifestyle" is presented online.

[@strawbaby2320]

The Gabby Petito Case is so heartbreaking and I was very surprised about how much it’s being talked about on tiktok

[@random23287]

Really? I'm also on tiktok but haven't seen anything about it. Interesting. Mind linking something about it if you can?

[@mariomario1462]

Lmao when the 12 year olds addicted to drama think a murder case out of the 50,0000 plus cases being investigated makes them important on tiktok 😂

[@holliebrokaw3716]

@Dylan Rodrigues All true crime has real people that were actually hurt. It's a goulish genre and the ethical problems with it aren't new

[@niawohl9517]

@Hollie Brockaw, are there ghoulish people in the genre? Yes. Is it a ghoulish genre? No. True crime can be intelligent, educational, and raise important issues. Just like anything else it can be well done or poorly done.

[@harrypike5140]

@Dylan Rodrigues TikTok is a hive of toxicity in general, so no surprises there.

[@Aceamzing]

Personally, I think it would be more offensive for folks choosing to live in a vehicle to say that they are homeless in the same way as people who didnt choose it.

[@tamcon72]

I love how that one dude thought that a typical homeless person even has a van or car that they can reject. Like, how out-of-touch are you?!

[@lightofohara]

My dad and I have talked about the way van life is portrayed online a lot (van life is such a dad thing lmao) and something that we’ve also been thinking about is that van life influencers are definitely not living as environmentally sustainable as they claim. A lot of van lifers rely on fresh new content, you can only take videos/photos in the same forest so many times before it gets boring for your audience, so influencers drive around to find cool new locations to shoot in and in the process spend a whole lot of money on gas that van lifers without an online presence simply don’t. A lot of non-influencers are parked in the same spot for months, sometimes years at a time. THAT is sustainable. Driving around America/Europe constantly is not. You might as well rent an apartment somewhere and bike to work.

[@xcherrykinsx]

as someone who lives in a van - er, short school bus - i want to thank you for exploring this topic! i entered the "vanlife" for a bunch of reasons including the fact that i absolutely could not (and cannot) afford to rent a place in my city and also that i'd been wanting to do it from the time i was very young! part of that was a very rose-coloured fantasy view of car-living that any kid would have and part of it stemmed from the trauma of being a neurodivergent child who moved houses every year for most of their life and was tired of doing so. it's a lot easier to move when all your things are already in your car and no packing is required! in the end, i think it's a complex issue and that not enough people truly consider what it means. everyone is impressed when i tell them i'm living in a van - they tell me that i'm living the dream (and i am living MY dream) - but they quickly change their tune when i mention not having had a toilet or bed or anything other than a bean bag chair and a suitcase of necessities for my first couple years. or any of the other obstacles that come with having an unbuilt home without any of the amenities that a building comes with. i literally could not afford to build my home out until i got placed on pandemic unemployment and even then i've not finished building. i've still not got a working kitchen or a shower or a consistent power supply. that's my reality. it's one that i'm fine with and one that has been working for me but it is not for everyone. on the other hand, i'm much better off than so many people and it's important to recognize that as well.

[@piscesmoon6333]

i truly appreciate how unafraid you are to dig deep and bring up classist attitudes and mindsets when discussing so many topics: this van life, teeth, the closets of the rich (vs hoarding), etc etc. thank you for your honesty♥💫

[@tacrewgirl]

I watched or read everything you mentioned in this video, hence why it took me so long to finish. Thanks for sharing some of the similar thoughts I've had about the van life movement. It definitely fall under the trope of "What is classy if you're rich and not if you're poor." I wish more people would realize the classism behind #vanlife and tiny houses. The part that bothers me the most about tiny houses and even one of the articles you mention about the Cinder Cone house, is that you need to have LAND to build on or pay a monthly fee. That topic seems to always be "forgotten" in these talks of living in the wild because land costs money, most likely more than building a tiny house from scratch. Then there is the whole thing about getting reliable internet and/or the ease or cost of commuting to work. The one thing I take away from all of these discussions is the lack of community and seeing humanity and the glorification of individualism. I'm not exempt from this, but it's becoming more apparent to me as well. Thanks for the video about social housing. I remember talking to locals in Singapore while backpacking in SE Asia, and I learned that most residents live in government housing and it doesn't have a negative connotation like it does here in the US. All in all, great video that was though provoking and will hopefully make many think about how they view van living vs homelessness and realize the classism. You're dropping gems about humanity, intersectionality, and critical thinking. Thanks!

[@tiffanyferg]

I appreciate this so much, thank you! ❤️

[@antiskill2012]

One concern is if the romanticization of van life could be disrupting people who live that way out of necessity. For example, it could hypothetically mean more competition for seasonal jobs, price increases/less availability of vehicles and parking, cities passing laws to make living in vehicles harder, etc. Hopefully those problems might be offset by van life influencers living in a separate bubble for the most part -- driving more high-end vehicles, going to different places, and either not working or doing different kinds of work.

[@ItsAsparageese]

That logistical self-segregation (vanlifers being able to get a different range of jobs, tending to park legally in paid places, etc.) does definitely help. Overall personally I've found my carlife-homelessness has become more and more socially acceptable and I get cops called on me less and experience less harassment, as vanlife gets more awareness/normalization. But I'm sure it's very variable region to region and varies also by the individual's demographics. I'm poor and visibly live a beat-up vaguely salvagepunk life but I'm white and a youngish woman, so things get easier for me faster than they do for other people.

[@raapyna8544]

@@ItsAsparageese This is what I hope vanlife and tinyhouse movements will bring; more respect towards people who live in vans and small spaces anyways. Same thing I hope for drifting and minimalism to do.

[@quirkyblackenby]

Eh it’s pretty easy to get seasonal jobs because most people don’t wanna do them. It’s pretty easy to get jobs at national parks and such with or without a van

[@emilylerman9028]

… it’s illegal to sleep in your car??? what if you’re homeless??? where else are you supposed to go??????? 🙄

[@_b.4596]

just away somewhere so everyone can pretend you don't exist 😒

[@jamiebabie]

It’s illegal to be homeless! But are we gonna help you? Nope!

[@BeautifulSilence]

"Anywhere but here." 😑

[@lauramathews3151]

Exactly. It affects the homeless and causes a lot of DV or other abuse escapees to end up on the streets.

[@casey4685]

I work at rv dealership and I want to stress that before taking on van life, that people understand that it can take up to 6 weeks to get this specialized vehicles fixed. If you live in your unit, this can put a major financial strain as you can’t live in your unit while it waits for parts, sits at the shop, etc. these repairs are also not cheap and parts in rvs beyond 6 years old can be extremely hard to find.

[@Skittl1321]

I wad looking at vans, as an alternative to an RV (not an alternative of a home) and many of the people converting have 2+ year wait lists!

[@Author.Noelle.Alexandria]

Yup. We were stuck living in a little old RV, and had a couple breakdowns. Thank the gods my husband managed to do the repairs needed and that we are both mechanically inclined, and when some power converter box blew and I posted on an RV forum just venting about how much I hated it and this was just the latest thing to go wrong (we didn’t have the money to replace it and needed it for electricity), someone on the forum who had recently upgraded his offered to send us the one he took out, which was better than the one that blew. It was all so stressful. And when you do have to hire a mechanic, since this is very specialized work, you’re gonna pay more.

[@nicoleheth8463]

i lived in my rv this summer and i found myself relying on social structures more than ever. I needed to take advantage of the resources to survive but felt the dichotomy of living the freedom dream but also suffering from the immense obstacles and challenges. i thought i would be living in my van much longer but it really just exhausted and stressed me out. now hoping to make enough money off of it to afford to move out.

[@damericano]

Hi Tiffany, just wanted to comment about how much I enjoy internet analysis because your interesting take on these topics help me establish my own opinions. Just a quick thank you for your hard work

[@emmadenton1826]

The way they treated the term homeless in that documentary was fairly gross. However, I do think a side benefit of rich or middle class people doing van life is the normalisation of having no fixed address. I've never been homeless but I did grow up poorer than most of my peers. When some new "poor person thing" became trendy, it really eased a lot of social issues. It was no longer something that identified you as "poor" to strangers, but as a "cool" identifier

[@marzipan2555]

That's a really interesting perspective. I never thought about how the removal of stigma may help people in a roundabout way

[@gremlinwithstickyhands3704]

Yes! I grew up poor and I feel this specific points important. Even some of the worst things being normalized, like fast fashion or thrifted clothes, do make life a little bit more bearable for poor people, in the short term at least

[@simplesimply3753]

@@gremlinwithstickyhands3704 sadly thriftiness or second hand is trendy now, which means finding what you need second hand so much harder. For my community, it’s made it worse because now a lot of trash is being donated instead of quality items. If a quality item does get donated it could be bought by someone with the intentions of reselling online or the store marks it up high. Luckily a lot of the stores know who’s in need ba who isn’t but it’s still sad to see here.

[@gremlinwithstickyhands3704]

@@simplesimply3753 and skinny girls cutting plus size clothes into pieces to make garbage two piece fits 😐 what a nightmare

[@ninab8187]

one time i visited transylvania county, north carolina and visited a luxury mobile home park, where i saw 2 million dollar motorcoaches and 1 million dollar lots, in a county in rural appalachia where the average income was 26k. it was an absolutely surreal experience

[@HaileyAndTheArt]

I live in this area, not in a million dollar home. The housing crisis in this area is unreal.

[@genevievesmith5277]

As someone who’s lived in their van for almost two years because I can’t afford California, it’s definitely not luxury and I’m blessed to enjoy it. Thank you for making this video, it’s so important

[@clairebear-96]

“blue ass water” i love the cody reference thank u

[@gracegonzales2815]

sadly, i believe they have found gabby’s body today. heartbroken for her and her family 💔 may she rest in peace and for the truth to come out.

[@katie]

This was such a great video, Tiffany! This has been something I've been thinking about a lot since my husband and I converted our van during quarantine and are now travelling in it while working remotely. I've found throughout the process so many people have this notion that van life is super affordable, or really accessible (and obviously it totally depends on the way you do van life) but the way it's often presented on KZbin is actually wayyy more expensive than you would think (fancy conversions in new sprinter vans, etc). I've been super lucky to be able to DIY my dream van, but it's not as accessible as a lot of van life KZbinrs want you to think - which I think is sort of all part of the van life vibe of being aspirationals but feeling like ~*anyone can do it~* or whatever

[@clairebear-96]

Lmfao i got an ad in the middle of this that started out “are you looking to begin your van life!?”

[@taylah4057]

my dad very recently lost his small granny flat after losing his job. he used up all his recent tax repayment to buy a tiny van and has been homeless throughout his life for over two years in total. it’s not something i’d wish ik anyone and im hoping he can turn it into something that is more of a positive than a negative

[@abigailfezer177]

I think it’s important to remember what people want in life, if you want to live a certain lifestyle I think you should be able to live that life guilt free. People need to be better about not making people feel shitty regardless of if they do some thing out of necessity or because they want to. Like will I judge someone if they have to live out of their car? No. But I’m not gonna judge someone for wanting to do the same thing, we all make different choices or make no choices and still end up in situations. But I do understand where this argument comes from.

[@jennastannard7085]

This is a cool video that explains an interesting part of culture! My parents have lived on a sailboat for about three years now, ever since I left for college. My mother has always been able to work from home so she can do it anywhere. Sometimes it has been difficult to explain to people that they live on a boat or why I don't go home for breaks. It has definitely saved a lot on expenses for them with us being on the poorer end of middle class. There are definitely drawbacks, but in the future they also plan to travel abroad so there are pluses too.

[@MrBerdman77]

What’s seen as cute and trendy if you’re rich but frowned upon if you’re poor: Getting government aide

[@tacticallemon7518]

aide if you’re poor “trickle down economics” if you’re rich

[@GreatGreebo]

Anytime I hear “aesthetic” attached to a lifestyle or living space, it just translates to *I HAVE MONEY AND A CHOICE* in my brain (versus I am broke and this is a necessity)

[@lisa_kikukawa]

I look at van life as a more sustanabile way of living, generating your our energy with solar panels, using rain water, fertilizing your waste and forcing yourself to be minimalistic. Who wouldn't want to work hard and save up money to reduce your carbon footprint in the future with a modern mini home?! Also I live in Tokyo and housing here is expensive and very very small with no windows so....

[@VannaMae]

I wish you would have interviewed some RV/Vanlife people on this topic and have a greater understanding about this lifestyle and why people do it. Just like anything else with social media, just getting your references from blogs and youtube videos isn't enough.

[@Author.Noelle.Alexandria]

I wish she’d also have interviewed people who are or who have been homeless. I think she had good intentions, but she missed the mark. I’ve been homeless, and I don’t know a single person who has been who think it’s classist that people choosing this are making sure people know they aren’t homeless, that they aren’t representative of homelessness.

[@tamcon72]

She doesn't interview people. She's not a journalist. The concept is called "Internet Analysis" for a reason: The postings rely on internet portrayals of issues.

[@Author.Noelle.Alexandria]

@@tamcon72 If she’s going to go off speaking FOR homeless people, then she should actually talk to some who’ve been there. She’s decided for those of us who have what is offensive and classist to us. That’s not okay.

[@Denycia]

I once heard a song someone wrote on TikTok about privileged van life influencers. One of the lines was "they bought your life just to sell it back to you." I mean damn. They have a point.

[@ellipszilonq]

I remember when I was working on a cruise ship I always felt like I've had way more in common homeless people than the guests who go on the cruises.

[@carolineharvey2534]

I love how much empathy you have with your social commentary. You could have made this only about how annoying vanlifers can be but you went deeper than that and I really appreciate it

[@cristinapanagi]

Thank you for mentioning the Romani!! I’m Romani and we are rarely recognized outside of our community, and when we are it is as a slur. Can’t wait to get a van and paint it in the traditional colors of our vardos 🥰

[@scarebears3359]

Ooh, timing. I'm potentially looking down the barrel of living out of my car again for financial reasons (if I can get it fixed) in a few months in an unfamiliar town. I did it before for a while 'a few years ago, but I had more of a support system then and couchsurfing was an option. Now? I still have to get my car running again. I'm past the point of feeling scared and just feel... tired. So tired.

[@tabularasa]

🍀

[@Toyon95]

I'm sorry. :(

[@angeavocado1156]

👏🏻👏🏻 thank you for this video. It’s not all instagram “vibes” for 90% of people living in vans/SUV’s/cars. Minimum wage in big cities doesn’t come close to cost of living. It’s disgusting.

[@Sam_dea]

Wow. My dad is a right wing boomer that lives in a van and travels around the country following work building wind farms and the idea of him as a #vanlife guy is making me crack up. I never thought of it that way and I think he would find the idea of living like he does as a philosophical minimalist lifestyle change absolutely hilarious. Second thought - I don’t really think of tiny houses in the same vein at all because to have a tiny house you have to have at least a little bit of land and that’s largely unattainable for most of us.

[@garbagefantangelo7644]

I think the tiny house comment was comparing it to living in a trailer home and how that is looked at as aesthetic and cool vs. shameful and lesser with the class/priviledge divide

[@nattojelly8349]

I like the term ‚unhoused‘ because at least to me it seems to be more respectful than ‚homeless‘. When I was in my teens, I was handing out flyers as a part time job. I started talking to a man who sold homeless magazines on the same spot everyday and we talked every time. He told me about his story and always gave me the Ernest issue of the magazine as a present each month. I learned that, when he was homeless, he started selling his original children’s stories to get back on track. He got the job selling the magazines, got a home and one day proudly told me that he was going to get married. I was so happy for him and I will never forget the true happiness on his eyes when he told me. I wished all people could see homeless as what they are: humans just as you and me, and they deserve respect as anybody else. (At least if they do not engage in crimes that is)

[@Author.Noelle.Alexandria]

Talk to actual homeless people. “Unhoused” is a way for those who are privileged enough to still have homes to feel better. It feels less icky than “homeless.” Well, being homeless sucks, and people who have the time to sit around thinking about which word sounds nicer are showing their privilege.

[@Maldives2025]

my mum grew up in Poland and was always warned about the Romani, they would often come and set up near her family home at a farm. It is very interesting as you state that now van life is glamourised however in the past it was deemed less than favourable.

[@Lau3464l]

I'm really glad you mentioned the Roma people. Thank you for this video, it sums up so much I've thought about as "van life" has become the pandemic-project for travel vloggers.

[@Cayla2015]

Ending R1 zoning in the US is key to creating affordable housing. City Beautiful has a great video about this type of zoning too

[@Author.Noelle.Alexandria]

Living in high-density places isn’t for all people, and people wanting to live in neighborhoods where they can have a yard for their dogs and a reliable parking space aren’t wrong for it What needs to be done is builders stopping with this ultra-expensive luxury building. Like in Portland, that’s all that’s being built, and those units are sitting vacant since no one can afford them. Really, I think those who can like the feeling of exclusivity, and they’re paying the cost of what three units should cost. Some people like living in big cities. Some people, like me, don’t do well at all in them, and I shouldn’t be expected to have my literal health suffer. Again, luxury building needs to stop. There’s plenty of it.

[@helenross3037]

choice is SO important i feel like there is such a perceived difference between someone living in a van who ... presents? as choosing to live there (which is so weird and classist) and someone who 'looks' or 'acts like' they live in a van out of necessity

[@skimblebanks]

i'm in a course on media and migration rn and we just did a week looking at nomadland and van dwellers, and this was a great companion to that discussion.

[@tiffanyferg]

sounds like a fascinating course, I'm jealous!

[@starhill6792]

I’m Romani from my mom’s side but I wanted to note that I really appreciate you not using the g word :)

[@lindalnd90]

What is the g word? Is it gypsy? I'm asking because I genuinely didn't know that this word is offensive.

[@em6644]

Yes you’re right! Growing up I wasn’t taught that it’s an offensive slur either. My understanding is that it’s extremely bad and I treat it the same way I treat the n word. So I don’t use it in any context, not in a quote, not by myself, literally never

[@bitchwormpuddin1499]

Most americans literally dont know and when i try and inform them they say "ok but its a name/common word/ etc"

[@lindalnd90]

@@em6644 Wow, thanks for clarifying, I just took an educated guess based on the context. As the comment above mentioned, I'm also American and it's not taught to be a slur here. But I definitely don't want to be offensive. I'm going to do more research on the history of it. I rarely ever use that word but now I definitely will be sure to not say it now that I know.

[@lindalnd90]

@@bitchwormpuddin1499 You're right, I'm American and it's not considered a slur in the states. But we also didn't consider the f word to be a slur either until much recently (we're slow on these things). I'll be sure to not use this word in my vocabulary.

[@helenross3037]

it must have been tricky to post this re: gabby petito but i think that you did this really well, with the info at the beginning and then the standard (incred as per) internet analysis

[@Bessieboo5]

I lived in a tiny home of only 17sq meters mostly due to my finances for a duration of two years.A lot of people thought it was very cute and would say how they would like to live in the house.But it had many drawbacks and no ventilation.I ended up moving to another region just to have more space and a nicer place to live.

[@tia4679]

Hello Tiffany, just wanted to let you know how inspiring and meaningful the videos you make are to me. They're so informative and well-researched, and it's honestly the highlight of my day when I see that you've posted. Great video as always!

[@amiemountain1186]

Watching this in the back of my cosy jeep with the diesel heater on. I still live in my normal area and work at my normal job but I have a 7.5 tonne Mercedes truck that I converted to a house and it stays on my friends farm, it has under floor heating, full size fridge freezer, microwave, oven, double bed, dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer, it costs hardly anything to survive, I'm in the middle of nature as well, and my jeep is my mini camper that I would use to road trip in. Van life for me has been amazing, I definitely don't feel homeless and I hardly ever post on Instagram or brag about it, I just live it

[@Musikchic47]

I think the biggest issue with this is like making it look "cool" when people who are actually homeless have no other choice to live in there car. For example, it's not directly related to van life, but I have a friend who doesn't like camping because he was once homeless so the idea of camping, or van life is not appealing and rather triggering for him instead.

[@harrypike5140]

Exactly. Actively deciding to go 'minimalist' and 'leave the rat race' for van-life is very different to having to live out of your truck or whatever for necessity. Most people to choose to van-life it will most likely have some sort of permanent property or address (e.g. their parent's house) that they can A) return to if needed), B) serves as an address for legal and documentation purposes, and C) is where they store most of their possessions that they're not immediately using, aka the stuff in their van. A lot of van-lifers also will have quite a sum of savings before they embark on their new lifestyle...van purchases and conversions aren't cheap, and a lot of these people have small incomes whilst on the road. For many, it's almost like an extended holiday or gap-year that they use to escape the 'real world' for as long as their savings allow. That's all well and good, but its important to make a definitive distinction between people who are consciously deciding to live the lifestyle, vs people who literally do not have a permanent address or home and live in a truck or RV with no other option.

[@BryonyClaire]

Loved this video, the classism in this movement is rife but as you say, there are genuinely good people also doing great things creating a community rather than just an individual aesthetic insta-bubble. I'm hoping the trend towards community as opposed to individualism keeps going because it's absolutely something we'll need as our climate changes even more. Thank you so much for the shout out! I was so shocked and have been blown away by people's responses, I so so appreciate it ❤

[@susannadanner906]

Great video as always! Just one little note. While I agree that solidarity for the homeless is really important, I actually think that the van lifers who draw the distinction between themselves and the homeless population are thereby acknowledging their privileged position. I think it would be worse if they pretended to face the same struggles even though they´re free to have a solid home.

[@shirinzendehdel7638]

Your last point actually made me think only the privileged can afford to detach themselves from the reality of capitalism and opt out of the system that benefits them the most, while not really doing that.

[@Pomagranite167]

I mean...the poor can too. But they will be shunned and ridiculed while the privileged are often revered and "inspiring" for daring to go against the norms. It all just sucks in general.

[@shirinzendehdel7638]

@@Pomagranite167 yeah I get your point, but class inequality and the pressures of capitalism are more of a everyday reality for the poor. I can't buy a van to start living like that. I can hardly afford to pay my rent. But when you're rich you don't really struggle to make rent therefore you don't have to think about capitalism and inequality that often. And I agree with you that everything sucks.

[@eclaire1748]

@@shirinzendehdel7638 I used my rent money to get one and I'm super broke

[@Aaron-hg8jo]

I agree with you, Shirin.

[@SafetyTree2]

thank you for being respectful towards my people, the rromani community.

[@calypsovaldez]

Ive loved your videos and been watching them for a while and just heard your outtro song for the first time and realized is the Loonette the Clown song 🥺 that’s my childhood right there! you’re a true 90s kid 😂

[@joeylovesfashion]

Very good video, very interesting about housing in general, thank you for your work 🙂 As a French woman, I wish my country will do more for affordable housing, but as in the US, it’s not the case. I admire Finland and the “housing first” policy, where the government gives homes to people unconditionally. This is the only EU country where homelessness is falling. Why our countries don’t (at least try) to do the same ? And as you said, I also saw the numbers, giving homes is cheaper than letting people sleep outside.

[@harrypike5140]

A lot of it has to do with population and available space. France is about twice the size of Finland, in terms of sq miles, but France's population is more than 10 times that of Finland's. Alongside this, France has extensive historical infrastructure and much of it's existing urban-environment cannot be altered or built upon as the buildings are protected / heritage. A lot of the green-space available in France is national park or protected land. Most of Finland on the other hand, is just forest. I honestly don't know what the answer is for a lot of countries in Europe tbh. Population growth will continue to be steady, land will continue to increase in demand whilst supply decreases, and immigration is not going to stop any time soon. I fear that houses will just become smaller and smaller for a lot of Europeans in future, and gardens will be a thing of the past.

[@joeylovesfashion]

@@harrypike5140 Thank you for your reply, it’s a really interesting one. In my opinion however, there’s always something that we can do, it’s just a matter of political will. No one in the french government really care about homelessness. I know we can’t help everyone, but can we at least try ? Implement new policies and innovative ways to address these challenges ?

[@harrypike5140]

@@joeylovesfashion There's always more to be done for sure. But i imagine that France is building a lot of new houses each year...I live in the UK and we are building tonnes of new houses each year, its just that the demand outweighs the supply, and eventually you run out of available areas to build on. The endpoint of 'keep building more homes' is somewhere like Hong Kong, where there is no green space left, its a horrific dystopian metropolis of block towers and flats, and every person only has a tiny living space available. You cannot just infinitely build new homes. I imagine, if we develop the sufficient technology, that humans will eventually start building living spaces out to sea with bridges connecting these spaces to the mainland. Perhaps these towns could be fueled by hydro-power and offshore windfarms. These are long-term possibilities though, not something that will occur in our lifetimes.

[@missburn]

@@harrypike5140 Lots of new homes are being built in my country as well (Denmark), well mostly in bigger cities but they are mostly reserved for students and families and wouldn't be affordable for a lot of groups here anyway. Our paliament even decided to destroy apartments in so-called "ghettos" because of problems with few of the people living there. Lots of other people now have no home because of a black/white policy decision. So we might see new homes being built but there are multiple problems popping up.

[@harrypike5140]

@@missburn I think these issues are present in most European countries tbh. In the UK we have loads of new builds popping up which are supposedly 'affordable' for young people (which is debatable tbh...if you're single, its incredibly difficult to get enough money borrowed for a mortgage), and in addition, a lot of the new builds are abound with issues! Poor construction, bad fittings and infrastructure, electric / gas / water not working properly, etc Not to mention that they are for the most part, horrible properties that are cut and paste with not character or life at all, and are in some random residential plot thrown-up so have no local community, no shop or pub or amenities within walking distance, and so on. If you don't drive a car you're limited af. As I say, i don't know what the solution is become European countries are small, our green spaces are reducing, and populations are growing.

[@osheaeimear83]

This is what I talk about all the time. I will never be able to afford a house so van life will probably be the only option. But Irish travellers in my country would never have the privilege I would. Side note, just to add Irish and English travellers are no relation to Roma or Romani people. They come from different ethnic groups. They are also many of them around the world. I'm so glad you made this point :)

[@aysegulcan7224]

Vienna has 25 thousand homeless (and increasing) people though. Mostly because it is very hard to access social housing if the person does not meet the requirements of being 'Viennese' which is set by the local government. The housing first movement started in the US (New York) and in theory, it is an excellent idea, but there needs to be the political will to implement it.

[@Samson16667]

Been living in my shuttle bus for more than a year now and I love the lifestyle. I am an agnostic minimalist and love KZbin. I don't have children and probably never will, so living simply is just perfect for me here in Austin, TX. I have met other millennial vanlifers and notice there into that whole bullshit "spiritual" and "New Age" nonsense. I just like the simple cheap life and I am somewhat anti-capitalist. Love this channel and glad to see Tiffany cover the subject of Vanlife.

[@Pomagranite167]

I myself am just a person who is anti-capitalist and anti-consumption, but I have to agree, the few ppl i run into who agree with these ideas have usually also dived deep into woowoo shit and i'm just not into vibes and energy and spirituality.

[@adrianghandtchi1562]

I remember when van life started gaining traction I had just left Florida to start over in indiana, I was homeless and sleeping in my car beforehand from January 2014 till July 2015, I was so jealous on how nice and big these vans were, I had a sedan. Eventually I got used to the fact that I was in a stable place to live with a job and realized overtime that I did what I did to be ok and ultimately a stable place to live is what all of us really need. I can’t even fall asleep in my car anymore which is a very good thing.

[@midorisour2844]

"I'm not homeless, I'm houseless" has a lot of "I'm not an immigrant, I'm an expat" energy.

[@Author.Noelle.Alexandria]

It’s more akin to “I’m not childless, I’m childfree.” As someone who is infertile (I got lucky getting to have IVF) and who has also been homeless, I do appreciate people who are making sure to make it clear that they aren’t examples of infertility and homelessness. It’s easier to be happy with it’s your choice, and that can reflect on those without a choice, making people wonder why infertile and homeless people can’t just “choose” to be happy. Making it clear than your choice of experience isn’t representative of those with no choice is good.

[@casualdrifter5226]

I am a full time rver and I would never consider myself homeless simply because I do not experience the trials and hardship that homeless people experience. I have a safe space to sleep, hot water to shower, my own stuff, and the option to buy a house at any moment if I wanted to. Nobody has ever referred to me as homeless but I would absolutely correct them because I wouldn't want anyone to think that my life is typical for truly homeless people.

[@ariannalybaek27]

I’m a white person who lives in the US but I was born in DK. I usually do refer to myself as an immigrant but I have never experienced the hardships many immigrants face. Not once has anyone ever assumed that I am anything other than American. I did not flee from a country, my mom just met a guy. It truly is a different experience and these distinctions are important. I think people specifying that they are house-less by choice is an acknowledgment of privilege. I am really confused why it is perceived as malicious

[@eleo_b]

I think it’s good to point out that you chose a lifestyle, that you acknowledge that there are people having a hard time, and that those shouldn’t be forgotten about.

[@laerin7931]

Or "You aren't firing me, I quit."

[@mandyneuville]

Thank you so much for talking about the Romani, this is why I love your content. You go deep on your researches to not forget any aspect. I am a French Romani, and I'm so pissed off when I see people glamorizing a nomadic livestyle, saying it's freedom, anticonformist and all that, when on the other hand, my family and I went through so much. I remember this girl in my college decided to live in a caravan because rent is pretty expensive in the city we were, and everyone thought she was so cool and open minded etc... And at the same time, I was more open about my experiences as a Romani women who didn't grow up around Romani people (because living with your close family is a big thing in my community) and everyone was suddenly worried about how living in a caravan was safe, if I had access to water, electricity, school and all. Some guy would also say how I wasn't like the other Romani he met, how I was "the good kind", because I "never stole anything and is honest". This is all cute and trendy until you are from the community and face casual racism, like this comment from this guy or see signals saying that Romani people only aren't allowed to park, it is even specified. Thank you again for addressing it, I had thoughts about it for months but the issues my community faces are not talked about at all.

[@charlottestephensonart]

This is such an interesting discussion! It’s such a loaded issue because of the housing situation and the stifling cost of living but on the other hand it’s also interesting as a rejection of capitalism and a system that binds you to property.

[@ClaireCraig]

Oh hey! I have a van life playlist on my channel. In the video where I discuss how I lived in my car in college at UC Santa Cruz I talk about the housing crisis there and how the school admits more students than the campus and towns can house, as well as the increased surveillance on campus to remove homeless students. I also have a more current video talking about why I think van life is trending right now specifically, as a more affordable form of travel than, say, flying abroad and backpacking through Europe. Anyway, can't wait to watch!

[@sharonoddlyenough]

That's a good point: how many of the vanlifers would have been backpacking through Europe in a previous generation? It's probably as expensive, easier in terms of visas and passports, and possibly profitable. As well, there is a possibility of selling off the van after they're done with it, offsetting some of the cost

[@ClaireCraig]

@@sharonoddlyenough Yeah, I lived in my car for a year saving up money before doing 4 months of van life. Couldn't afford going abroad, but not paying rent and staying within the country was do-able

[@addy3520]

Still a reality for UCs unfortunately, UCSD has created a bubble in La Jolla where every house has a waiting list of 10 or more and rent has skyrocketed. The university has made deals with nearby hotels for discounted long term stays.

[@ClaireCraig]

@@addy3520 Yeah, my last year of Santa Cruz they started converting every double into a triple in terms of dorms, without making the dorms bigger. My first year I lived in a dorm with five other girls. Housing is becoming more scarce, and since the county voted against rent control, landlords can increase the rents without a cap each year. Sucks.

[@unboxedana9964]

We have a small van that we use for weekend breaks, and I can tell you, in Scotland, weekend breaks are often cold and soggy, and usally end with chattering teeth or tears 😂. Nowhere near as aesthetic as those photos/videos/vlogs. As awlways Tiffany, amazing, thought provoking video. I'm so glad you touched on 'whats cool if your rich' thing and the contrating opinions of living in such a way when it comes to your socioeconomic state, I think its an interesting point to discuss.

[@bascal133]

I’m really confused about how on one hand you’re happy to make the distinction between people who choose not to live in a home versus people who are forced not to but, then you reject the distinction between being houseless and homeless? They’re saying the exact same thing that you just said recognized, It would be an insult to people who are struggling with homelessness for them to call themselves homesless because that implies their situation’s are the same.

[@trolloftheyear7963]

Many low income people work, but can't afford rent, so it now makes sense to live in a vehicle. Those who can't afford to rent without having roommates are choosing van life because It's much less depressing than living with roomates you barely know or don't want to know. Sharing apartments starts to feel like you are living in some kind of "group home" or homeless shelter. There is often drama, and that is usually the final straw. Van life is peaceful. If you can't afford your own place, a van and a gym membership is a good option. Plus, you get to travel to places with a warm climate every winter. #Snowbird

[@eVaire]

Living in a van and not identifying as homeless is an anti-homeless sentiment in the same way that choosing not to have children is an insult to infertile people - not at all, because that would be stupid. It's worrying how quick people are to jump on their high horse and try to discredit those who dare reject things that are valued highly in society at large - whether it's a house, children or romantic relationships. Those people aren't the ones who should be reflecting on their attitude and feeling guilty over some assumed sentiments they may not even have. You should be the one reflecting on why it is so hard to accept that someone out there saying "no, that's not for me" to something that you would love to have is not indicative of anything being amiss. What you try to do there - from pondering whether living in a van comes from a place of necessity more often than not (making it "not a real choice") to wondering if living in a van is glamourizing homelessness, it all shows your own defensiveness of what you personally consider most important in life. Trying to find holes in someone's philosophy is not a real attempt at understanding. This video could be called "For what misguided reasons do these people reject something that most of us have to work so hard for? are they forced? what's wrong with them? are they cosplaying as poor for instagram likes? and do they hate the homeless? let's find out". It's comparable to writing an essay about what's wrong with childree people for not wanting children or what's wrong with aromantic/asexual people for rejecting sex or relationships. The answer to all of those is the same - they're their own people with their own needs and those things don't make them happy. That's all there is to it.

[@indigoechos6796]

Exactly!

[@doriwong2756]

I've chosen to not have children and I've also chosen to live in a bus (though not without some financial pressure). I didn't get from the video that just the choice of living in a van or similar was insulting. What I think she's getting at is a tendency I've seen enough times to distance oneself from thoooose people. ie "I'm not homeless because I'm poor! This was my choice, not economic failings! Don't lump me in with that group! I could be middle class if I wanted to be!" I'm greatly exaggerating, but it's a subtext. Class anxiety is very real. Even if someone doesn't think badly of homeless people in the traditional sense, that doesn't necessarily exclude them from subconsciously not wanting to lose their social class position. The way society treats homeless people as failures and looks down on them, it's understandable not to want others to look at you that way, but kinda throws forced homeless people under the bus (pun intended, lol). Another comment brought up a great example where the host of some tiny house show was insulted that someone kept referring to the tiny house as a trailer home. A few times I've said on social media I'm technically homeless and someone's corrected me to say I'm house-free or something similar. Anyway, I get your analogy, but what she's getting at would be more like if I made sure people knew that I could have babies if I wanted to so I'm not like people who wanted babies but can't have them. Now if someone was asking me if it was fertility issues, obviously that's not my lane and I would say so, but going out of the way to make the distinction would be weird and insensitive, right? Or better yet, it's one thing to say you're not friends with a certain unpopular person if somebody asks you about it and you wouldn't pretend to be that person's friend. But it's different if you go out of your way to let people know you aren't friends or answer a little too emphatically. That says you either don't like that person or you think being associated with them will tarnish your reputation and it also degrades that person. Hope that makes sense. If not, agree to disagree :)

[@laronpierre119]

But they are literally glamorizing homelessness what are you talking about

[@TheMrsarahanne90]

Was homeless for a year in my early 20's due to the recession and lived in a very old very broken down trailer. Had a truck for a little bit so that it could be moved around to different camp sites (most camp sites only let you stay for a couple weeks so many people have a rotation) and there were many other people in my position except they were in their 50's and 60's... there's a whole population of older folks who get dumped by society and just camp. The truck eventually broke down and I couldn't afford to fix it so had to hunt for a more permanent place to park the trailer. That took a long time to find because the trailer was from the 70's and most trailer parks don't allow trailers that are old and non functional (I couldn't afford to fix anything but the propane heater) and yea the trailer was super broken down (broken window, big hole in the floor covered by old carpet)... finally found a place about an hour and 30 from the college I was going to (I was in my last year of taking out loans for my BA). Tiny one road town that blessedly had a bus that went into town and back twice a day. Finally was able to get a small part time job in the small town and eventually found a room to rent in town and a buddy took the trailer (apparently he stripped it down to the frame to use as a flat bed trailer 🤷‍♀️). There were aspects that I miss... waking up in the morning and feeling the fresh air, making french press coffee bundling up and wandering around with the dog b4 getting to whatever I needed to do. Bird song, just the sounds. But there were some really scary moments. One person at the trailer park was an addict and would randomly get high and mad and would scream over at the trailer that I was a whore that didn't pay taxes and that she was going to break into my trailer when I wasn't there and kill my dog. Yea that was horrible and terrifying. The police said they couldn't do anything. One time it was 17F and I ran out of propane and was genuinely worried about exposure. Dog got sick and I was afraid I couldn't get him to the vet. Also it was hard to control my weight. I ended up gaining like 15 lbs (I'm really short so kind of a lot for me). I couldn't cook so had to rely on a lot of premade things. No space to work out and I didn't feel safe exercising outside. People who do van life aren't living in a broken down travel trailer, they're mobile and have money in the bank. I'm not going to lie, they kind of piss me off. They probably don't get as many dirty looks or written off as a failure. Sure some people may judge them but they aren't in serious danger of social ostracism. But there is no denying there are those random things that I miss. I don't think I would ever do it willingly lol

[@AllTheArtsy]

Vanlife is homelessness, with rose-tinted glasses. I will concede for some people, they really like the nomadic lifestyle, but I bet for a majority, if they can own property and travel, they would rather that than have no house of their own, even just for the investment. If the housing market was not fucked, most people will want to buy a house, apartment, condo, etc. Also, vanlife is great when you're young, childfree and ablebodied. But let me see you enjoy that when you're 46 years old needing regular medical care, and your children are not yet off to college.

[@daughterofthestars08]

This is a good point. I own a trailer, but the inaccessibility of affordable housing really makes my “choice” a bit less about agency and more about surviving, just like homelessness. I do love it and love the freedom, but it comes with challenges that mean that if i could own a home for the same amount of cost, i’d probably happily do so.

[@birdiewolf3497]

I honestly I think it is another way to perpetuate the capitalist structures you are running from. Because low wages, inflation, eroding benefits, etc etc. I understand why folks want to opt out. But opting out isn't a solution. We need revolution. We need to force societal change. In fact all this does is allow the capitalists that they can treat us even worse. Same thing with the tiny homes trend. Instead of rebelling against these problems we are finding ways to adapt to it to our own detriment.

[@erikasatya5394]

@ISeeDogs I live near Santa Cruz and it's nearly impossible to buy a dream home unless you were already loaded, inherited it, or are a successful business owner.

[@jamiemackie3994]

Better question: why do you have so many medical problems at 46?

[@AllTheArtsy]

@@jamiemackie3994 you know people can just get sick at any age, right? i mean, you know that, right???

[@madzruns]

Just started watching so maybe you’ll mention this later in the video- but the book “Nomadland” by Jessica Bruder really highlights the real-life people who are forced to live in vans because they can’t afford to live in America. Hulu just made a movie about it but it’s drastically different than the book. It’s a quick read at about 250 pages and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

[@amandavergara8043]

On the point of living in small places that get flooded, have must, dirt, structure barely keeping up; I think another important point is mental health, since living in spaces like that absolutely deteriorate someone's mental stability, therefore not being able to even mantain the place (mostly because of money) and so it's a cycle of decreasing mental health + deteriorated living spaces.

[@maritk983]

One thing this has me thinking about is people from well off backgrounds and large funds choosing to live in cheap permanent living situations and thus living way below their means. Sadly, housing, and especially cheap housing, is a limited commodity. And the rich choosing to live in these houses for whatever reasons, means that these apartments are not available for those with less finanicial funding making them at higher risk of homelessness. Yes, consuming less is a good thing, just like living more mindful, but good, safe housing that one can afford should be a human right and we need to protect this, especially for the more vunreable members of society.

[@serenity6831]

The way this country claws away at people who are often already on the margins (financially, socially, physically...) and then criminalizes what's left so that there truly is no way out is just sickening.. why tow away someone's livelihood. What is the harm in letting them rest??

[@BeccaAl]

Great vid Tiffany. I was a van dweller through my twenties on and off, in Britain and Europe bc of making the decision to be, mental health and also necessity. The attitude towards vans and housing are similar in the U.K. but mainland Europe can be a lot better. It was really freeing and scary, it was incredibly easy and really hard at times. One has to be so resourceful. As far as poor Gabby Pepito, I feel that your honesty and rounded take is helping by showing the reality of the life, not just being ‘Instrgramable’. With warmth, I would warn young women to be mindful who they share their van space with, any issues or problems will be compacted inside that space. It’s hard to self care without home comforts, away from support systems, so one needs to practice looking after oneself more than anything else. Best wishes to all van dwellers esp those who are struggling or there through necessity 💚🚐💨

[@thinkfirst1989]

I definitely think there is a distinction between choosing to live in a vehicle and being forced to by circumstances. The point is with homeless folks, they are stuck, they aren't choosing to try to survive the way they do and they don't have the resources they need to establish the life they choose. People living in their vehicles because they couldn't afford rent do not have the resources to even maintain that lifestyle, they haven't gotten to make their van into a small but comfortable and safe living space. They don't go places for fun, they are forced to go places to find work or even just to park without being harassed.

[@ADWebTV]

I agree. I don't get why people want to group them together. One group could use assistance to get back on their feet.

[@AussieBleuu]

Ironically got an ad halfway through this video that started off with “HEY! aspiring van life nomads!”