Fort Myers in foreclosure

Bruce Gilden photographed and interviewed scores of people in South Florida who have lost their homes and are already suffering through hard times. Later this week, Magnum in Motion will present a multimedia package of Gilden’s work.

Bruce Gilden: How’d you get in this place, you rent?
Norman Wright: Renting.
B.G.: How much you pay a month?
N.W.: Six and a quarter.
B.G.: $625 a month?! That’s a lot of money, right? So how is he
able to get $625 a month from you?
N.W.: Oh, my disability.
B.G.: Then how much do you have to live on?
N.W.: $15 a week.
B.G.: Do you really?
N.W.: Yeah. (Laughs.)
B.G.: That’s no bullshit?
N.W.: No! (Laughs.)
B.G.: So how do you live on $15?
N.W.: I don’t!

"They are closing down the children’s advocacy program here at the community center, Belmona Park, because of lack of funds. So the children will have to be taken care of by parents who have part-time jobs doing whatever they can, dusting, cutting lawns. So without the kids being taken care of, nobody’s gonna want to work.”
“So guess what? Nobody’s have rent.”
“Guess what? We’re gonna have more abandoned houses.”
“Guess what? I want to thank the government for handling the situation so efficiently!”