Joblessness and Homelessness – North Dakota

Job seekers flock to North Dakota, wind up homeless, By James Macpherson (AP), February 8, 2010, USA Today: “More than almost any other U.S. state, North Dakota has escaped the worst effects of the country’s recession, but with its good fortune has come an unexpected problem: homelessness, as desperate job seekers flow into the largely rural state looking for work. Shelters are full statewide, and soup kitchens are feeding as many as they can. Some homeless newcomers are living in cars, but as temperatures linger below freezing, many are bunking with acquaintances to avoid freezing. Many of the job seekers came to North Dakota without researching jobs or housing, said Louis “Mac” McLeod, executive director of the Minot Area Homeless Coalition. They arrive to find they are unqualified for the work that exists, or if they land a job, they can’t get housing, which is scarce…”