Post by Poor Richard on Oct 26, 2023 8:53:00 GMT -7
New Bozeman ordinance has urban campers concerned as winter weather sets in
RVs and trailers have come a long way in the last 40 years. Solar panels provide dependable electricity at little to no cost. Propane heats the units and is often used to run the refrigerator/freezer as well. Floors, ceilings, and walls are frequently insulated with blown-in foam which has excellent thermal retention properties. Trailer roofs are often covered with sun-reflecting durable coatings that keep the unit cooler in the summer. Most RVs now come with a rooftop air conditioner as well. Retractable patio awnings provide more shelter from the weather and make for a comfortable outdoor living space. Campers efficiently pack all the amenities of a conventional home into a road-worthy unit that can be surprisingly affordable. Some people even convert old cargo trailers into campers for under $10,000.00.
RVs and camp trailers are common along many streets in Bozeman and many cities across the US. When people live full-time in RVs on city streets it is called "urban camping". The advantages of urban camping are numerous. You can conveniently park near work and be within walking distance of major stores in downtown Bozeman. Internet service is often free at various places like the library, McDonalds, Starbucks, Walmart, etc. Rent is free and you will not have to pay property taxes either. If you do not like the neighborhood or find another job, it is easy to move. The money you would normally spend for rent and utilities can be allocated for a monthly payment on a nice RV that you own and can be taken with you when you leave.
In the camping world, there are many communities consisting of RV and trailer owners who comfortably live full-time in their vehicles. Now that free-wheeling lifestyle seems to be attracting a younger breed that camps in an urban setting while enjoying all the fruits a city has to offer. Why pay rent when you can own an RV and move on a whim? You would save thousands of dollars a month by not renting, paying utility bills, or property taxes.
The proponents of bigger government often characterize people who chose to live in urban RV camps as being too poor to afford a stick home. So they then jump to the conclusion that everyone really wants to live in a fixed location, pay rent or a mortgage, utilities, and property taxes, and be stuck in one place for a long time. For people living in RVs, stick housing must be unaffordable and therefore government must step in and require that "affordable" housing be built.
Maybe the urban campers are the smart ones and freely choose a mobile lifestyle that is becoming increasingly popular in today's technologically connected world. If so they would pose a threat to traditional government because they can avoid onerous property taxes and still reap the benefits of urban living. City streets, parks, and services are then paid for by other people's tax dollars who choose to own real estate and a stick home. Urban campers found a loophole and are exploiting it across the nation. In Bozeman, the City Council has started to take notice. In an attempt to preserve the old, pre-Covid status quo, they recently prohibited a class of new vacation home rentals under the guise of addressing the "affordable" housing crisis. Now they are going after the urban camping community.
KBZK reports "The Bozeman City Commission gave final approval Tuesday night to an ordinance that requires urban campers to move every thirty days. As winter weather sets in, some campers say they're uncertain and scared for the future.
Tina Dunkel has been in Montana for 30 years and has been urban camping in Bozeman for the last six months.
She says, "I just got wind of all the laws and new ordinances that are passing and it’s just going to make things so much harder for so many people."
"It’s not fun, it’s just survival. You have to do what you can. You usually have to rely on your neighbors. There’s quite a few camper neighborhoods and everyone just tries to work together," adds Dunkel.
Local businesses and residents have expressed concern about the people and issues that urban camping has brought to the community.
"A lot of these people on the streets camping and stuff, they’re the ones out in the work force busting their butt to survive," Dunkel says.
The cost of living in Bozeman has driven many people to urban camping, and even out of the state completely.
"With the way rent and stuff is in the valley, I’ve been here at least thirty years, and I’m leaving Montana," says Dunkel. "It’s sad. I just wish people would learn to have a little compassion and humanity and look out for each other and take care of each other".
The new ordinance will go into effect in 30 days."
RVs and camp trailers are common along many streets in Bozeman and many cities across the US. When people live full-time in RVs on city streets it is called "urban camping". The advantages of urban camping are numerous. You can conveniently park near work and be within walking distance of major stores in downtown Bozeman. Internet service is often free at various places like the library, McDonalds, Starbucks, Walmart, etc. Rent is free and you will not have to pay property taxes either. If you do not like the neighborhood or find another job, it is easy to move. The money you would normally spend for rent and utilities can be allocated for a monthly payment on a nice RV that you own and can be taken with you when you leave.
In the camping world, there are many communities consisting of RV and trailer owners who comfortably live full-time in their vehicles. Now that free-wheeling lifestyle seems to be attracting a younger breed that camps in an urban setting while enjoying all the fruits a city has to offer. Why pay rent when you can own an RV and move on a whim? You would save thousands of dollars a month by not renting, paying utility bills, or property taxes.
The proponents of bigger government often characterize people who chose to live in urban RV camps as being too poor to afford a stick home. So they then jump to the conclusion that everyone really wants to live in a fixed location, pay rent or a mortgage, utilities, and property taxes, and be stuck in one place for a long time. For people living in RVs, stick housing must be unaffordable and therefore government must step in and require that "affordable" housing be built.
Maybe the urban campers are the smart ones and freely choose a mobile lifestyle that is becoming increasingly popular in today's technologically connected world. If so they would pose a threat to traditional government because they can avoid onerous property taxes and still reap the benefits of urban living. City streets, parks, and services are then paid for by other people's tax dollars who choose to own real estate and a stick home. Urban campers found a loophole and are exploiting it across the nation. In Bozeman, the City Council has started to take notice. In an attempt to preserve the old, pre-Covid status quo, they recently prohibited a class of new vacation home rentals under the guise of addressing the "affordable" housing crisis. Now they are going after the urban camping community.
KBZK reports "The Bozeman City Commission gave final approval Tuesday night to an ordinance that requires urban campers to move every thirty days. As winter weather sets in, some campers say they're uncertain and scared for the future.
Tina Dunkel has been in Montana for 30 years and has been urban camping in Bozeman for the last six months.
She says, "I just got wind of all the laws and new ordinances that are passing and it’s just going to make things so much harder for so many people."
"It’s not fun, it’s just survival. You have to do what you can. You usually have to rely on your neighbors. There’s quite a few camper neighborhoods and everyone just tries to work together," adds Dunkel.
Local businesses and residents have expressed concern about the people and issues that urban camping has brought to the community.
"A lot of these people on the streets camping and stuff, they’re the ones out in the work force busting their butt to survive," Dunkel says.
The cost of living in Bozeman has driven many people to urban camping, and even out of the state completely.
"With the way rent and stuff is in the valley, I’ve been here at least thirty years, and I’m leaving Montana," says Dunkel. "It’s sad. I just wish people would learn to have a little compassion and humanity and look out for each other and take care of each other".
The new ordinance will go into effect in 30 days."