Homless then, Homeless now.

Taxed to the breaking point on many fronts, the city of New Orleans has a homeless population that is now approximately twice of what it was before Hurricane Katrina, in a city half its previous size. Residents are faced with a severe shortage of housing. The population includes thousands that have come to help the city, along with citizens and relatives. Most of whom cannot find a place to live. The places they do find to live are often unclean and outside.
This homelessness was prevalent in earlier history in such shantytowns as Hooverville in New York, during the Great Depression. These shantytowns housed people who lost their jobs and homes, and were forced to live in these unhealthy conditions, whether it be inside a box or on top of a car.