Forest Dwellers — Homes for the Homeless

Toma
2 min readApr 7, 2020
A hinterland shanty for two

Part One — Who are they?

This is Dean — my somewhat more remote neighbour. He’s a forest dweller with a unique story and creative disposition about this rudimentary lifestyle.

We met for the first time yesterday while I was out walking in the woods close to where I live. We talked about some of the challenges he faces, what he does, and things he wants to do.

Just imagine finding yourself in a situation where you or a loved one live somewhere in a remote location without modern amenities for comfort and security/safety.

The front of their home

What would it be like to not have access to a toilet, shower, or even running water?

How would you prepare your meals? How do you stay warm? Would you feel safe?

There are obviously various reasons that motivate or even force someone into this or a similar dilemma.

It’s easy to conclude that there are shelters and other services for “these people“ and that’s where they should go, but that reasoning doesn’t take into consideration each person’s unique circumstances, perceptions, and the resulting actions that they take.

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Toma

Curating the garden of my being 🌈 Reading and writing are part of that process to me.