Self-governance, social order and institutional solutions to collective action in a Tent city

Applying insights from the theory of collective action in self-governance, this paper addresses how a city-sanctioned homeless camp has successfully self-governed for over two decades. Based on a club goods model and democratic practices, this tent city attains social order and provides numerous collective benefits to its residents, who initially bring very little capital to the camp. Our case study, which includes in-depth interviews with residents of a tent city at four time points between 2012-2025, as well as observations from their weekly organizational meeting, illustrates how the possibility of exclusion for rule violation, norms emphasizing voice and service, and democratic governance combine to make the community viable. In addition, the evidence shows, rather than merely enabling collective action, that collective identity, social capital and personal agency are emergent features of self-governance that enhance and reinforce its benefits for residents. Finally, we discuss the limitations of self-governance as a solution to homelessness.