A Depression-era “Hooverville.” (Photo credit: Flickr user IMLS DCC)

The “Hoovervilles” — tent camps set up by jobless, homeless, and migrant families — were an iconic part of the Great Depression. They were a sign of the failure of Republican President Hoover’s policies and the failure of the government to repair the economy.

Taking a page from these camps, a group of protesters have set up what they are calling a “Romneyville” in downtown Tampa to protest Romney’s proposed economic policies. The Guardian reports:

Among those on view will be Elijah Seabrookes, 56, who arrived in Florida in recent weeks after failing to find work in his native New York.

He is now living out of a tent on the lot alongside Occupy movement protesters, Green Party members and the homeless and down-on-their-luck.Ai??”I came here because I wanted to find a home and a job. But I found that there was neither. So now I am living in a tent here,” said the former security guard.

Organisers say the name “Romneyville” is meant to play on the “Hooverville” settlements that sprung up during the Great Depression.Ai??”We want to show that the ‘P Word’ is not a curse word. With that word being ‘poverty’,” said Bruce Wright, one of the campaign’s organisers.

Indeed, Romney’s budget plans would be devastating for middleclass and working class Americans. The average middle-class family would see a $2,000 tax hike, while massive corporations would actually get their taxes cut. Meanwhile, the Romney-Ryan plan for Medcare could increase seniors’ health care costs by up to $60,000 during the course of their retirement.