'Tent City' Not Deterred By Snow, Cold

CAMDEN, N.J. - To outsiders, 'Tent City' in Camden looks like a sad scene from The Great Depression - especially with so many tents collapsing from the weight of the snow.

"You have clothes on the lines that are wet from the snowstorm, nobody should be living like this. Nobody," says Good Samaritan Teresa May.

Teresa May's collecting blankets and other supplies for them. The homeless who live there rely on the generosity of strangers, like Teresa. But surprisingly enough, most of them don't want to leave, reported Fox 29's Robin Taylor.

"While it's better here, shelters are just temporary, you're only there to sleep," says resident Gary Murtagh. "The people worry about what they're doing, you only go there to sleep and they kick you out the next morning. I mean, it's like here, you have, it's like, a sense of stability,

"Jamaica," who's known as "The Mayor," prefers to call this "Transition Park." Since Fox 29 did a story there last summer, eight people have moved into apartments and 19 have been reunited with family.

"I'm not gonna say that we are helpless. Because people can be homeless but not helpless so we're helping eachother now. Try to motivate each other to go on with their lives, says "Jamaica."

In the summer, there were 115 people living there. Now, there are just 44. The cold weather, of course, has something to do with that. Although the snow isn't as much of an issue as some might think - because most of the tents are heated with propane.

"We make the most of a bad situation," says "Jamaica." "You know, some people do their Code Blue, five of them so far. Everybody else rather be here. They'd rather be here cause they're more warmer."