Trap Houses and Crack Shacks: The Intimate Relationship between Drug Dealers, Gang Members, and Homeless Persons

• In Event: Assessing Victimization and Vulnerablity in Diverse Social, Historical, and Cultural Contexts

Abstract

Drug and homelessness crises have permeated many urban centers across North America in recent years, igniting growing public concern about how drug supplies are reshaping downtown cores. A key element in the drug chain is the “trap house” or “crack den”—urban dwellings, usually houses or apartments run by drug dealers and gang members to make and/or sell illicit substances. While scholars have examined some facets of “trap” life, minimal attention has been paid to considering the role that People Experiencing Homelessness (PEH) play in their emergence, management, and sustenance. Based on 550+ interviews with PEH and PWUD across 9 cities, this paper examines trap house establishment and operations. Unmasking their structure and dynamics, we find that gang members 'hire' PEH, including single mothers and non-affiliated persons living on the streets, to facilitate their drug scenes. We show that while working at a trap house provides PEH with critical income, such street-based employment exacerbates their exploitation and victimization. This paper elucidates the social dynamics, structure, and organization of trap houses at the intersections of gangs and homelessness.

Authors

• Bilguundari Enkhtugs, University of Alberta

• Marta-Marika Urbanik, University of Alberta

• Katharina Maier, University of Winnipeg

• Carolyn Greene, Athabasca University