You might think it criminal that in the world’s richest countries, some people are reduced to living out of their cars in a desperate bid to remain off the streets.  But I’m fairly certain you wouldn’t think it was the act of saving oneself from the elements that should be criminalised – your government disagrees.

Nearly 70 cities are considering such crackdowns on people whose vehicles have become their homes, according to the Wall Street Journal:

For months now, Mr. Smith [a former information technology specialist] has feared he might lose his current home, which is stationed on a street near a quiet Palo Alto park. An ordinance passed by Palo Alto last year would punish people cited for living in a vehicle with as much as a $1,000 fine or six months in jail.

“You’re at risk of losing everything,” Mr. Smith said recently. “It’s a weird feeling that until you’ve lived this way, you don’t realize what it’s like.”

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