Hoovervilles , Seattle Washington  &#34;Hooverville&#34; became a common term for shacktowns and homeless encampments during the Great Depression. There were dozens in Washington, hundreds throughout the country, due to the housing and employment crisis of the 1930s. Seattle&#39;s main Hooverville was one of the largest, longest-lasting, and best documented in the nation. It stood for ten years, 1931 to 1941.