SHELTER + SAFETY

by David Nuttle

Primitive man found shelter in caves and lava tunnels with safety achieved by blocking or guarding entrances to protect against wild animals or hostile tribes in their area. Ancient &

threatened tribes in the Cappadocia area of Turkey carved underground homes and habitats in the soft volcanic rock in that area. One of these populated underground facilities, known as Derinkuyu, has multiple underground floors with the lowest being 280 ft deep. There are living quarters, cottage industries, classrooms, chapels, food & feed storage areas, good sanitation systems, air vents, water systems, and stables for livestock. Each floor may be closed off by large round stones that may be rolled over the single-entry door to each floor.

Many shelters for man are not nearly as safe as Derinkuyu. Many African tribes had, and still have, huts generally made with sticks & a mix of mud and cow manure used as plaster. Native American tribes and pastoral populations made shelters from poles and hides to facilitate moving frequently. In the far north, tribes made igloos from blocks of ice. Today, people shelter in vehicles, RVs, campers, tents, tiny-houses, single family dwellings, varied apartment structures, boats, luxury liners, mansions, and assorted dwellings with a few people still in caves where available and plentiful. Security is still a factor desired achieved by policing, security systems, and gated communities. In a few cases, abandoned missile silos underground have been purchased and made into homes. During the Cold War & fears

of nuclear attacks underground bomb shelters were constructed and used as homes at times. During the Vietnam War, the Viet communists dug massive underground facilities to shelter their troops from U. S. bombing and/or artillery strikes. The Hamas terrorists in have created extensive tunnel networks used for living, operating, and remaining secure.

There is a massive homeless problem in the U. S. and worldwide. The homeless are living on the streets, in tent camps and vehicles, with a few able to have an emergency shelter that is available in their area. Too many are living in slums with no potable water or sanitation, and with make-shift shelter from cardboard, old tin, and scraps of boards. Crime as well as alcohol and drug use are high in these areas. Some communities do not know how to deal with the homeless problem, or they lack the resources to do so. Solutions like issuing fines on the homeless or destroying their tent camps do nothing but aggrivate the problem. The homeless needs emergency shelter along with services such as health care, counseling, behavior modification, crime control, job training and placement and assistance in finding a

means to provide long-term housing. Patial solutions are not solving the homeless problem.

Adequate and safe housing is a basic human need that must be met to have a productive and stable society!!