Shanty Towns/Squatter Camps in STX

If you fly over the island in a small plane, there are a few areas in the rainforest/Hamm's Bluff where you can see that someone is camping/squatting. Abandoned hurricane blow-outs sometimes provide shelter but aren't heavily populated.

With so much government subsidized low-income housing on the island, there are fewer homeless people needing to find a place to squat. You quickly get to know by sight the handful of famous homeless in Christiansted, including the ubiquitous Richard.

The island is bigger than some, but not all that big in the grand scheme of things and you should be able to tour it fairly extensively with a Realtor as you explore your real estate options... whether for rental or purchase. Pretty much any neighborhood has pros and cons to be considered when you are weighing options to decide what best suits your family's needs. Keep in mind the length of the commute from wherever you choose to live to wherever your daughter will be attending school. That may help in the final selection.