The documentary takes viewers to one of the largest tent cities in the country. Tent City profiles several members of the tent community and questions society’s attitudes toward the homeless. Tent City puts a human eye on the plight of nomads living in complex homeless communities in remote Lakewood, New Jersey.
The Lakewood campus is an impressive feat of organization and collaboration. Tents range from humble tents to elaborate, personalized tents. Camp amenities include showers, numerous grills, stoves, picnic tables, piano, pets, and chickens. One resident even maintains a website dedicated to the Lakewood community and works from a laptop located in a small on-site trailer. Local restaurants and warehouses often donate food that cannot be sold due to shortages but is still fresh enough to eat.
The community itself is made up of people from all walks of life – some with mental health issues or addictions, others just trying to make a living in a world they’ve been left out of. Residents include artists, veterans, and even a priest. Newcomers are accepted without question. Those in need of shelter are welcome at the Tent City, where the basic rule is “respect your neighbor”.
Residents of Camp Lakewood know what outsiders think of them. One respondent described this as a common “get a job!” response to the homeless. But, as he explained, most Lakewood residents work full-time and still cannot afford traditional living arrangements. The same respondent worked the night shift at a local pharmacy and claimed he was making too little to buy or rent a pharmacy, but too much to qualify for government assistance other than food stamps (totaling less than $50 a month benefits). Despite the amount of work and coordination involved in running Lakewood Tent City, outsiders continue to view its residents as nuisances.
Sharing an inspiring perspective on life outside the traditional cozy home, Tent City reveals the realities of homelessness beyond stereotypes and common misconceptions about the working poor.
