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At homeless encampments from Seattle, Washington state to Las Cruces, New Mexico, residents live away from the dangers of life on the streets, saying the stability helps them work towards their goals. Despite a shortage of affordable housing for the poor and budget constraints on social welfare programmes, many U.S. cities have clamped down on tent cities in the past few years. Here: Matt Mercer, a one-time resident of Camp Hope, poses among tents in Las Cruces, New Mexico October 6, 2015. “The most unique thing about the camp is the sense of the community”, said Mercer, a former tent city dweller who now volunteers at Camp Hope. “When you are in the shelter system you don't see community, people are all just in survival mode”. (Photo by Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)
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