# Best cities to squat usa



## Troubadour90

So im new to the forum and new to the usa. I recently got deported from Australia, for busking of all things.
I was squatting there and made it my business to learn all the laws.. Now im in Boston and I feel a bit wet behind the ears.
Can anyone tell me what cities have squatter friendly laws and maybe active squat communities where I can hole up if need be?
Im going to be heading across the country to Oregon for the national rainbow. if someone has a zine about laws in Oregon id me mucho grateful.
I like the us, but having just arrived Ive got no connections in the travelling community just yet


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## FrumpyWatkins

I'd be curious to hear about what that process of being deported from Australia was like.

As for squatter friendly cities, your Goldie Lox zone is somewhere post rust belt, with limited gentrification, medium property values, and somewhere that heroin hasn't touched as badly yet. A lot of what would once have been squattable properties in major cities have turned into drug usage abandominiums, especially on the east coast, and eastern midwest. This has always been a thing, but the major uptick in heroin use has lead to a lot of drug dependent temporary homelessness, especially among people who would normally not be living on the street/in abandoned buildings but do as a result of their drug usage. This in turn means "blown up" buildings, more secure buildings, homeless crackdowns, and a general distaste for those who live alternatively, legitimate "homeless by choice squatting" also fall victim to these new rules as well because from a civic sense, it's black or white. Mix in some gentrification and the pickings start to get slimmer. 

I've been curious recently if anyone ever started anything up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It fits a lot of the categories I mentioned above, but every time I've been through there, I didn't meet anyone. Relatively cool town, strangely conservative though (DeVos/Amway) hometown.

I do not know anything about squatting laws in Oregon, but I do know Oregonians are starting to tire of people treating the state like some kind of a homeless mecca, and I imagine the national rainbow gathering and it's inflow and outflow of drifters this year will only add fuel to the fire.


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## Troubadour90

My standards are pretty adaptable. I'm thinking more about the law in a certain area. So where I was squatting before, the police coulsnt kick you out unless the owner had expressly aksed for you to be removed, and tresspass was a civil issue, not criminal. I've got no Idea of the law in this country. I like finding a place, putting the work in, and hoping that if the owner turns up and sees we've treated the place with respect, maybe let us stay. I've had my crew put on the lease one or twice, and just agreed a small token rent, but that's unusual. I just like to change the locks and put the work in.

As for gettign deported. It sucked, it fucking sucked more that you can imagine, It was 2 days before mt girls birthday and I was on my way to visit her. I was put in immigration detention where some people end up staying for 7 years, I just count my lucky stars I have a 'good' passport, I feel awfu for the people who are stuck there. My girl came to visit me in detention, before Iwas shoved on a flight back to the UK, only good thing I guess is I didn't pay for the flight. I'll write a detailed thread about what happened to me sometime if I get the chance. Now I'm gonna try to make a home for myself hoboing around the us instead


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## Koala

whereabouts in Australia were you squatting? I've been squatting in Melbourne for a bit now  I'm definifely curious to pick up squatting when I get back to the US but reckon squatting in Australia is a bit easier/more chill in a lot of ways


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## Troubadour90

Koala said:


> whereabouts in Australia were you squatting? I've been squatting in Melbourne for a bit now  I'm definifely curious to pick up squatting when I get back to the US but reckon squatting in Australia is a bit easier/more chill in a lot of ways


I was in Melbourne too, it's chill AF. I am a little cautious of the heroin thing here in the usa. I don't particularly fancy being around it, I saw what Ketamine was starting to do the squat scene in Melb before I left.
I was squatting a lot around abortsford, Brunswick and preston areas. It was so easy, the last place I was in we got a deal with the landlord, and 15-20 gypsies paid $150 a month to live there. _It's definitely worth keeping the place clean and tidy_


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## FrumpyWatkins

@NutSac this is a good point about rural areas having more choice options but less reasons for wanting to be there.

Side note, what is your avatar? I can't tell if that is a CGI Jesus or a real person...


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## Rob Nothing

Ive been waiting to see a thread like this, on SQUAT the planet, for a long time.. maybe a few just slipped by me for whatever reason.

Not had a whole lot of luck re finding decent squats. For obvious reasons.. and because I dont go out of my way looking for them. 

John P did.. the guy would spend hours at a time hunting for an unlocked door, and we would be inside a warehouse or some forclosed home practically every other night. And Id just be like, hey man thats great and all and indoors is better sleep but is it really worth all the trouble looking when you already have decent camping gear?? Kind of a huge time waster, imho. So the woods are usually where its at. Unless you are somewhere in the southern states where homeless youth like to prowl around and have territorial pissing contests with anyone whose number is equal to or less than theirs. Then its better to go on a penny jayne knob rattling hunt than to take chances in the gutter areas and rail bridges aka the gangsterdom bush.

needles are a huge squat offender and are another reason a decent shit palace is so rare. Homeless people and gangsters and highschoolers raping eachother and bramble bushes and bull elk and stray dogs and sprinkler systems and neighborhood watch associations and swamplands and security officers are omnipresent and omnipotent like the hordes of the all seeing eye and it seems to me the only way to squat is to remain immobile in one town long enough to make friends with the locals and see where they will let you crash permanently.


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## japanarchist

Nola is probably one of the easiest and most plentiful places to squat, but a lot of the houses are in bad shape and have harmful mold. I don't know the laws off hand for certain but i think that Oregon is a state where you can claim tenancy if you forge up a rental agreement form, most likely when the property is bank owned. In theory the cops aren't supposed to evict or arrest you if you have something like that, unless the bank sends them and verifies that it's fake, but I'm sure you can imagine how much cops know or give a fuck about the law when they're the one committing the crime. I've heard the Bay Area is a good place to squat also but I've never been there.


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## Matt Derrick

Rob Nothing said:


> Ive been waiting to see a thread like this, on SQUAT the planet, for a long time.. maybe a few just slipped by me for whatever reason.



Have you seen our file library? We have a ton of books and zines on the subject.


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## marmar

I think it depends if you are just looking for a place to crash for a few nights/weeks/months or something where you establish a housing with a group of trusted people who share your ideas. 
For the first, you can squat any abandoned house you like in America , and just stay there till the cops come. Hopefully for you it's gonna be more then one night. 
If something more permanent and legit, I only seen it in the bay area, Oakland. One particular squat Im thinking of as an example of legit squating is being there for about 6 years i believe and hads a solid crew that started from cracking the locks, establishing relationship with the hood, paying back taxes slowly and will eventually own it in the future.
Said that, I think the bay area is a good place to find something, including like minded people. 
And for a place to crash under a roof, you can ask a crusty traveller, they may or may not know travellers squats around


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## Dunedrifter

NutSac said:


> Typically ive found that places with a lot of _nice _squattable buildings are in places like rural Iowa or other parts of the depopulating zone. And then there are lots of shitti squattables anywhere.
> What I need is -nice- i.e., no toxic mold, or asbestos, or meth residue, or lead paint, or raccoons.
> 
> There is a science and logic to squatting in the u.s., but i havent cracked the code quite yet. Yes, theres a million buildings one might squat but would you want to move to Latoxia, Iowa; or Rumpshite, Nevada?.....No. and neither would I.
> 
> Forget buildings. There is much to be said for sleeping where theres absolutely no danger of local teens surprising you at 2 AM wanting to party in 'your' squat; or nosy neighbors ratting you out to the piggz.
> 
> Much better to follow these dudes example:
> 
> http://madworldnews.com/forest-ranger-hidden-cabin-woods/


That link is a pop-up hell


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## IraKai

Hey! With a group of active squatters in Portland, ask away!
There is a zine called Opening Doors written by some folks from Portland, though it might be a bit dated.


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## bjorkedfork

FrumpyWatkins said:


> I do not know anything about squatting laws in Oregon, but I do know Oregonians are starting to tire of people treating the state like some kind of a homeless mecca, and I imagine the national rainbow gathering and it's inflow and outflow of drifters this year will only add fuel to the fire.



A big part of that is based upon the Mayor of Portland's decision to allow overnight camping within the city under the "safe sleep policy" which only pertains to the Portland-metro area. Word on the street though is that Oregon is a hard place to be - limited and overwhelmed services, a lot of sketch going on behind the scenes, an increasingly less tolerant general public. Winters coming and most will move on.

I am also interested in knowing of any decent places to camp/squat down around Salem, OR. I know there is a tent city encampment out in the west side across the river but it looks super sketch and a popo magnet. Interested in something stealth.


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## THE REAL SCAVENGER

oregon basically is a homeless mecca...especially eugene. the cops kind of suck, but sometimes i feel like there are more people living on the streets than there are people living in houses here in euegne.


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## Freerange

Fyi, Salem is trying to pass an ordinance about people lurking downtown and sitting on the ground. They say at night you can still sleep on benches but in the daytime they will move you if the ordnance passes. There are a few spots ppl post up luckily. The one you mentioned on the westside of the river. It can be a little sketch but if you're cool so are the ppl. We used to do food not bombs down there and kick down a lot of grub to those folks. Only one time did i have to grab a scrub up for talking to one of the ladies in a derogatory manner. The best and safest place i am aware of is just south of town. Some folks have made camp in the woods and since they keep it very tidy the law is not bothering them. It is only about a mile from stores, food, and a laundromat too which is nice. Ppl also crash by the railyard under the bridge but its VERY trashy.I got info on foodbanks and other resources if its needed. Hope this helps you or anyone else reading::


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