- Forbes, 'The Rise Of Trumpvilles - Project 2025 Drives Economic Displacement,' By Solange Charas, Former Contributor. Solange Charas covers the intersection of governance, HR, and finance. Mar 14, 2025. -- Photo: Hoovervilles from the 1930's
---------
The specter of economic displacement is rising in the U.S., with eerie echoes of the Hoovervilles that defined the Great Depression. Today, growing homelessness, stagnant wages, and declining affordability are converging with the political landscape shaped by Project 2025—a proposed policy overhaul that threatens to exacerbate these challenges. If implemented, the consequences could accelerate the emergence of "Trumpvilles"—tent encampments of economically displaced individuals—driven by policies that weaken social safety nets, restrict worker protections, and amplify economic inequality.
-'Hoovervilles, 'Shantytowns,' in the Great Depression, 1931- 1940, named for U.S. President Herbert Hoover (R).
--------
As Ezra Klein discusses in his podcast entitled “Is Trump ‘Detoxing’ the Economy or Poisoning it?” Trump’s economic strategy and his administration appears willing to push the economy into ‘a period of pain, maybe even a recession,’ in pursuit of long-term economic dominance. The Economic Underpinnings of Modern-Day Hoovervilles. The forces driving today’s housing and economic crises are multifaceted.
Homeownership is increasingly out of reach for middle-class Americans, rent prices continue to surge, and eviction moratoriums—temporary buffers during the pandemic—have ended.
Project 2025’s proposed reductions in federal aid programs such as Medicaid, food assistance, and unemployment benefits could strip millions of critical resources at a time when inflationary pressures and stagnant wages have already squeezed working families. The Trump administration’s shift toward a mercantilist economic model, as discussed in Gillian Tett’s recent analysis, suggests that trade wars, fluctuating tariffs, and economic instability could disproportionately impact low-income and middle-class workers.
Simultaneously, labor market trends signal volatility. Automation, AI-driven job displacement, and corporate restructuring have increased job insecurity. If Project 2025’s pro-business deregulations move forward, including reduced labor protections and the elimination of DEI initiatives, businesses will face a new wave of worker discontent, potential productivity declines, and reputational risks. - Private Sector Responsibility: A Strategic Imperative...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/solangecharas/2025/03/14/the-rise-of-trumpvillesproject-2025-drives-economic-displacement/
= new reply since forum marked as read