Wings of a Bird

Storage Unit As Shelter Not Unique, Workers Say
Girls Found in Md. Shed Spotlight Housing Woes
In 20 years working in commercial storage, years when she has also had to work nights waitressing at the Golden Corral to help support her children, Robin Lawrence has seen lots of people living in storage sheds.
"Sometimes they can fix them up really nice," said Lawrence, who works at Economy Storage in Waldorf. They might add insulation, carpet on the floor, a bed, a rack for their clothes, a television, a hot plate, maybe even a little grill out back. "It's just like a little efficiency, but without running water." The arrest of a 33-year-old woman last week for allegedly locking her 4- and 5-year-old daughters in a commercial storage shed for three nights has exposed a hidden corner of life. ...
Although the allegations shocked many people, advocates for the homeless in Southern Maryland and other parts of the region said that, increasingly, families have been driven to find makeshift shelter -- in sheds, cars, unheated trailers and the woods. ...