Handyman-turned-squatter hunter outlines ‘nightmare scenario’ when illegal migrants catch on to housing laws

[Vambram]

Handyman-turned-squatter hunter outlines ‘nightmare scenario’ when migrants catch on to housing laws

Squatter hunter Flash Shelton is concerned that migrants will catch on to states' lenient tenants' rights laws and create a squatting crisis that is “beyond control."

www.foxnews.com

A handyman-turned-squatter hunter is concerned that migrants entering the U.S. will catch on to states' lenient tenants' rights laws and create a squatting crisis that's "beyond control."

"We have masses coming in. They're going to be looking for places to live. And if we don't have the housing for them, if they're coming in with no money, they can't rent the traditional way," Flash Shelton, founder of the United Handyman Association and SquatterHunters.com, told Fox News. When they start finding out that many states have permissive laws for squatters, "our squatter situation is going to go beyond control," he added.
Squatters and tenants' rights laws vary across the country, with some states providing protection for non-paying individuals, allowing them to occupy a property for extended periods. In areas where complex laws bar police from taking action, homeowners have few options to reclaim their property beyond pursuing a civil case, which can take months.
Shelton has advocated for reforming laws to hamper people's ability to squat and warned that the influx of migrants coming across the southern border could make the squatting problem substantially worse.
"What are we going to do later when we have a million people squatting in this country," Shelton said, "when not only do we have a border issue that we can't even figure out, but now we have people that are being mentally, financially, physically messed with because they've lost their home to all of these people?"

"Regardless of how you feel politically or morally about the situation, put that aside and just think about the masses," Shelton added.

Nearly 7.3 million migrants have crossed into the U.S. illegally since the start of 2021, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Since 2022, Texas has sent over 100,000 migrants to major cities in other states, with most ending up in New York City and Chicago. The Big Apple spent $1.45 billion in fiscal 2023 on migrant costs and expects to spend a combined $9.1 billion housing migrants in 2024 and 2025, according to Bloomberg.

 

[Richard T]

Federal Government is asleep. I saw foreclosed HUD homes in a couple of states that were auctioned off with tenants inside. Quite a discount too if someone wanted to deal with them. I would propose the police make the owner and renter sign an affidavit. The affidavit would clearly state that if any party could be proved that they had no right to possession of the property, they would do mandatory jail time and be required to give restitution. When the squatter refuses to sign, they are evicted by police.

There used to be copper and Air cond. thefts in Florida. As soon as they started requiring all scrapyards to document who brought copper in with ID, and state where the copper came from, the number of copper thefts dropped dramatically. All it takes is a little effort and such problems can be brought under control.