Continuing from my last post it is sad but reassuring to see all my items fit in a 5x5x8 storage unit. I am still working the two jobs and plan to for about 5-6 months as I save for relocating out of state(RI).

I am shock to see 1.3k upvotes from my last post but glad to hear everyone’s encouragement, resources, and follow-up questions. From the comments I plan to get a P.O. Box and sign up for Snap assistance. I also prepare my car and secure items for easily car living.

To those who still have questions I like to say that everyone’s homeless situation is different. People can be homeless for various reasons and still have jobs or access to other resources. In my case, due to rent increases and other debt expenses I chose to live in my car for a few months to save for a better option down the road. I could choose to get a roommate or rent by myself but I ultimately made a decision that would help me escape a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle. I have the benefit of being a single 32 yo that can make this change and will hopefully see a better outcome in the next year.

I am still happy that I created this Reddit and able to turn to this and other communities for real life experiences to my current problems. Thanks to everyone who reach out and I will keep writing to keep those who follow me updated on my situation and to seek helpful advice. I do wish to hear from others who are balancing being homeless and working. I am concerned about my coworkers finding out and wander if I could get fired.

#⏩ Nomad living quick start

Please let me know if you have any additional things I should add to this page. Thanks!

I'm the oldest out of 7 kids. My parents have drank my whole entire life, i am 18 now I've had the opportunity to leave the day i turned 17 so i did, i worked at my friends, moms hair salon. Braiding hair, I made enough money to keep $60 to myself and send back $160 to my parents, solely for my younger siblings. I was just glad to get out of there... My youngest sister called me crying one night telling me how bad it was and she didn't understand why I would leave them, I came home that very night. Took bus's all the way from LA to Ontario. When I got back it all spiraled from there I lost access to a car and had no phone, no job, no money and no support from ANYONE around me. I continued taking care of my siblings, cleaning and cooking for them until one day my parents said to me "You think you're better than everyone here that's why we don't like you and we don't want you here" I cried of course and tried to get help with rental assistance and food stamps but none of which helped unless you have a kid or kids. I'm back at square one and feeling worse than I ever have, I feel dumb for caring so much just to get stepped on. They walk around drunk everyday, sometimes I'll get lucky and they'll say good morning to me, sometimes I'll get lucky and I won't hear anything from them for that day and other times I just get yelled at for trying to do something with my life and needing their help with support that's all I've ever wanted and longed for. As of today they officially told me they were ready to get rid of me, my mom saying "I'm so f'king tired of you" and I still don't understand why or why I still care about them. I have no access to a car and there's no stores or jobs near me AT ALL so I'm just stuck in this rut and feeling depressed again and just hopeless not having anywhere to go or anyone to run to. I don't have anyone to talk to and I use Reddit a lot for information on opportunities and things I can do for money, I'm so tired I just needed to rant and tell someone.

Socal hates you if you’re not rich or some shining, golden star of a person who has never made a mistake in their youth. My credit is a 590- I know, not good, but I’ve rented at maybe three different properties- always been on time, never been evicted. I paid off on a car, and I am currently over a year strong on my current car note. I have two jobs, make WELLL over any of these places’ asking prices- the “bad” dings on my credit are from old credit cards I neglected in my teens. I’m going to take care of them now since it’s literally causing me to be practically homeless. like wtf kind of world do we live in where that’s even fair. I don’t know what to do. every place is denying me- even with a freaking co-signer with exceptional credit. It feels like the system wants you to fail, like I’m being punished for a having a shopping addiction when I was just a 19 year old dumb girl. I’m starting to feel really dejected and hopeless. Is this seriously how people go homeless?

Helo

I have been homeless in Colorado Springs for nearly 7 and I am going to write a book about my time spent off the grid.

Please help me in any way you feel led to.

Thank you so very much!

Hi I'm 20yrs old and live in California I've currently run away from home and hiding in a library until I can find the help I need. Can anyone help me with some advice? I don't know what to do where to go and I'm having a horrible breakdown

Does anyone know any farms where it's easy to get hired?

Unskilled, broke, and may soon need to move and be homeless in a new city, or at the very least move and get creative about budget sleeping arrangements. Obviously I don't want this to be permanent. What tips do you have about hygiene, getting a job, keeping clothes clean for interviews, staying safe, and getting enough food/sleep/money?

Anything you are willing to share would be appreciated.

I resigned from my last job about 4 years ago to focus on my health. Started looking for a job once my health was under control about 7 months ago. Regular interviews but no offers.

Savings and checking account are completely empty. Credit cards are maxed out. I have a $1000 line of credit to get me through the next month and a half. Mortgage payments are being deferred hopefully for another 3 months. Not enough equity to sell the house and make money, so I'll probably foreclose.

The EBT card keeps me fed, and there is some assistance with energy costs in the winter. But there is not enough money to pay for auto insurance, phone, internet, or energy after next month.

Seems like homelessness is in my future. Anyone have ideas on how to cover costs for living out of a car? Like what steps to take finding an address for an insurance policy and how to get the cost covered? Any subreddits for that?

In the last year I was botched by a surgeon, became disabled, and lost the love of my life. Over time this woman (also trans), became abusive toward me and my situation. I was supposed to move with her to Las Vegas, but now I have no way to earn meaningful income. She's become more physical toward me and has threatened kicking me to the curb for months, this time it's the end. I have 2 weeks left.

I have no resources other than a breaking down car, no family who is willing to help me, no friends who can help, I continue to get bad news from shelters and no chance of section 8 anytime soon. This is the most terrifying time during my life that I could become homeless in the US as a trans woman. Laws could pass soon that would make it impossible for me to even exist in the spaces I'd need help from.

How on earth am I supposed to make this all work while disabled and barely able to drive? Let alone continuing to have access to my medication or find consistent sources of food.

How do I make it through this?

Pads are expensive, especially for people struggling financially. In that sense, reusable pads are helpful- but the cleaning can be annoying when you're almost homeless or homeless. So what if reusable menstrual pads were easier to care for in situations like this?

Would you consider using a reusable menstrual pad if there were an easy and portable way to clean and dry it without any contact with blood?

EDIT!!: I'd like to hear from those who primarily use disposable pads. thank you

Has anyone here ever asked their landlord to extend the deadline on rent? If so, how did you start the conversation and how did it go? Brownie points if it was a corporation that owned your apartment.

I live in Virginia. My wife and I rented a room together in the middle of nowhere. Well she started causing problems and fighting and got us kicked out. She left to go stay with her kids and I have nowhere to go. I have a job that is close to the house in at now. The only option I have is to r rent a storage unit and stay there for the time being. Life sucks

Edit: so I just got off the phone with a shelter that apparently like .03 miles from my house and job and I'm supposed to give the lady a call back tomorrow at 12.

Final edit: so I contacted that shelter. It turns out it isn't a shelter but an organization that helps the homeless near me. Long story short they are gonna put me up in a room for a month and help pay for my Ubers to work and help me get a car. That's helpful because the hotel is about 20 miles from my job. And when the 30 days is up they should have a room for me to rent closer to my job. So I'm not going to be out on the streets after all. Thank you for all your tips and kind words

I'm disabled and receive a small survivors disability check. I heard that applicants on disability get bumped to the top. So how long would that mean I'd be on the wait-list for a 1 br 1 ba duplex?

TW: Abuse, Sexual and Physical

The reason I suspect I’ll be kicked out is because I spoke up about my parents abuse (sexual). I am 18. My parents have threatened to get a family member to beat me if I ever spoke up about this abuse. They have also, unrelated to this, have threatened kicking me out before. We just had a “conversation” (wasn’t even a conversation it literally was them mostly gaslighting me) saying we had to live in this house peacefully (meanwhile they emotionally abuse me and I argue with them as a result. They tried to make me out as hostile.) they told me if I don’t want to cooperate under their roof (which basically means being compliant to their abuse and never standing up for myself) that they’d give me a second option, which heavily implied that I’d get kicked out. I am also diagnosed bipolar with severe psychotic features, and take medication that should be covered by my birthgivers Medicaid, but if I get kicked out, she’d definitely take me off of it.

TLDR: I need some advice on what I should buy/ what I should do in the instance I am kicked out. My parents are sexually abusive and have a past of sexually abusing me and my siblings, and threatened to physically hurt me if I spoke up about this. Don’t care all that much if I get physically hurt. I am diagnosed bipolar with severe psychotic features and take medication that should be covered by birthgivers Medicaid, but if I’m kicked out I will have to pay out of pocket. I have 6,000 saved, but I live in an expensive area with no job. I cannot keep the abuse hidden anymore. I’m going to speak up about it soon. Any potentially helpful advice is welcome and appreciated.

Are there no immediate care resources in Oklahoma/OKC that can help my grandma??? She’s 79 years old and she’s getting kicked out of the home she’s lived in since 2005. She’s got 48hrs to find somewhere to go and it seems like it’s impossible to find anywhere that can take her. All she has is social security income and $600 to her name. I’m trying to help her all I can but I’m 900 miles away and not financially well off myself, at most we have $1200 to work with. Her insurance doesn’t cover assisted living, she’s very ill with pneumonia right now and I’m at a loss, no one can help, we have no other living family. If anyone can offer literally any advice at all I would be so grateful. I just need help so badly, and don’t know what other resources to call other than what I already have that’s been a dead end.

What’s wrong with me? Do i really not matter? Am i truly worthless or deserve to be isolated?? Am i just another statistic?

I’ve been on my own my whole life. I have never known true safety, trust, connection or compassion. I was almost used to it and then I became physically handicapped.. a situation that forces you to be dependent. If you don’t have anyone then essentially you are relegated to a staffed environment with no advocacy and the potential for abuse is higher.

I have come across so many who were on the brink of losing everything and they survived because someone in their life was able to help them get back on their feet.

People took someone in until they were fully sober and tolerated their ups and downs.. didn’t give up on them until they were secure in work and school. This took several years and they never turned their back on them until they were better off. Many were abandoned but had a family member return to help them and they never abandoned again. I’ve know some who were runaways and helped eachother for more than a decade until everyone was more independent and stable. I’ve even seen situations where people are abusive but continue to receive support. I’ve seen people relapse and spent time in and out of jail but still receive support.

I have been in many support groups in my life and never come across someone truly isolated from support in their lives. I've even come across some homeless who were eventually able to have family or friends come to their aid or even strangers help. I know when you're truly isolated that the likelihood of death is higher and i know sometimes people are alone or homeless then they come into help but they often can die from their situation or find resources. I do come across this for physical disability but in those cases, the percentage of death is very high.

So my question is.. when i reached out for help often to those who know what it's like to be stranded and in need.. those who were given support that changed and saved their lives then why don't they feel i'm worthy of support?

Some of them are family and friends i've known years and that I have helped. I have never hurt them and/or have a criminal record or addiction issues. They know i'm hard worker and educated. I am recently physical handicap and just like always, I have no one. Doctors have been completely unhelpful and I have united insurance, run out of physicians under coverage to see. The doctors right now want me on pain meds (that have flared my ulcers, been to ER several times for it) and to go to an adult care facility for an undetermined time since I am having issues with basic tasks like being able to use stairs, bath, shower etc.

My friends know this is my fate and just shrug, they don't even have interest helping me write a gfm. I'm nervous to compose some page about asking for help especially when my medical info wouldn't be private. If you have someone else sign up for you then you're able to keep most of these private details hidden. I also don't know how to even ask for help since the situation is so complex.

I know everyone says not to compare but it's really hard to not feel so worthless when the only people you encounter who are truly isolated are on the brink of death. They hurt everyone who did support them but I have never even known what that support feels like! I have never ever been in a position to make a phone call in an emergency. I have usually depended on strangers for help.

I've been analyzing myself from my gender, appearance, the way I sound or how i come across or if i was more abusive or had bigger problems then i would receive help? Some of them even know I've been suicidal so what did I do where my entire life.. i've been unworthy of support or compassion? They send me prayers and that's it. These are all people who know what it's like to have nothing and need help.. why don't i deserve the same support?

I have setup a method to end my life and some of my friends and family know this. I have attempted before as well but was found early. I do not want to die but i do not want to spend the rest of my life alone in some facility dying slow. People just tell me to pray or that i'm not trying enough.. this is a situation that all crisis centers i've spoken to say is highly unusual and dangerous to be physical handicapped with NO support. I can hardly relate to anyone on my support groups.

I also have shown proof of the condition and some even witnessed firsthand what doctors were saying and how unhelpful they were. I even tried attorneys but none will return my calls or messages.

All of them say they would take their own life without support.. I have none and have expressed my desire to end my life but they judge me for it even when they say they would do the same in my position! Am i just statistic? Why don't i matter at all? I don't even want to trust anyone anymore or ask for help because the amount of times someone decides i don't deserve help is making me more and more suicidal.

I met some in support who says they will live with me and help when i can. I said I don't mind i'd even working together and i could try remote work as long as they help with my handicap issues and i could even pay for their help. They said they have no interest in "working". I understand people sometimes aren't in a position to help but many i've spoken to are currently helping those who have mistreated them and they are definitely in a position to help even with something as simple as helping me start a gfm. I asked them how they would feel if they became physical handicap with no support and they said they would all kill themself! Yet they judge me for being suicidal.

I'm mentally exhausted and have always been a fighter but being physically handicapped is forcing me in a different direction.. are my "friends and family" really ok with me spending the rest of my life alone in a facility? If i don't matter then what is the point? I was ok with being alone but being an isolated cripple is not something anyone wants. Why does no one believe i'm worth helping in any real way? The same ways they receive support? If that's the case then i don't belong here..

I had to go to the hospital on Sunday because I was going to off myself but I guess I decided to try medication based treatment at a hospital one last time. Rn I'm in a hospital in Boston but don't have much longer here before they transfer me to a shelter. My social worker warned me the shelters are pretty shit and it got me thinking I might want to look elsewhere in the northeast.

My main goal here is to get a job and rent a room. Should I try to stay here in Boston and do it or should I leave?

I decided to create this account to share my journey as I become homeless for the first time at 32 yrs old. I am currently working two jobs but my monthly salary combine does not give me much room to fund an apartment by myself with utilities and pay for other expenses. For reference I live in Rhode Island and work a full time job and part time job at minimum wage each. I have taken the appropriate steps so far to reduce my stuff to a few totes that can fit in a 5x5 storage and prepare myself to live in my car for the next few months. I plan to keep working and saving as I cut some bills like finish car payments and reduce other debt. I have looked around at my community resources and other options but I now condition myself to just move forward with this plan I calculated and hope my savings are enough in June to move on from my home state to another affordable area. Just asking people to wish me luck or any advice and follow my posts as I will update everyone on my journey.

I have to move out on the 20th and currently my best option is staying in a hotel partially funded by the state. I've never been homeless before so I don't know how to prepare. Any advice?

I've been reading through some posts on this sub and thought I'd share what helped me during my brief stint of homelessness.

I was homeless for about 2 months in 2023 following a fallout at my previous sharehouse. I didn't have time to find a new (pet-friendly) house before having to move out, so my dog and I ended up a bit stranded.

Fortunately I had a friend who could look after my dog while I tried to find a new place. Not long into my homelessness, I stumbled upon housesitting and it was a life saver. I spent a couple days in a cheap hotel, but was otherwise fully housed by housesits for about 2 months. All I had to do was look after the house and pets.

Top perks: Free bedding, heating, showers, laundry, internet and kitchen. Cute animals Feeling safe and "normal"(ish)

There's numerous housesitting websites out there (eg. Mindahome, TrustedHousesitters, aussiehousesitters, community fb pages). Spme require a membership but for me the $50usd more than earned itself back.

If you go down this route try to find longer housesits so you don't have to jump around as much (eg. 1wk+). Also trust your gut - if the person seems dodgy or the animals too much just walk away, your safety is important.

I hope this is able to help someone else. Shit gets tough, but they can change for the better if you stick it out.

TLDR: Try housesitting to keep a roof over your head while homeless.

I officially give up. Me and my 2 month old baby are going to be homeless. I'm just venting and crying as I'm typing this because idk what else to do and have nobody to talk to. I'm a month behind on rent and they sent out a notice that if I don't pay $2500 by next Wednesday they are going to start the eviction process. I am so scared. My Fiancé and I agreed that while I'm home with the baby he'd take care of the rent and l'd take care of the smaller bills since I'm not working rn (also because an emergency happened and I had to pay a lot of money out of pocket for it). A week after my baby was born I came home from being at my moms for a couple of hours and all of his things were gone. I tried contacting him but it says his phone isn't in service. I was confused because our relationship was good and we were happy. I haven't Hurd from him since and his mom is ignoring my calls. Since then l've had to pay so many bills as well as things for my baby and food for myself and day by day my money was running out. I started panicking because I knew the rent fell all on me now. I started doing insta cart and door dash with my baby to make some money but it's very slow where I live. Last Friday I came home from doing insta cart and there was a letter on my door stating that if I don't pay by 1/22 then they are going to start the eviction possess. My heart sank and I immediately called the office and explained to them my situation and they said there was nothing they could do. I've been doing Instacart and door dash sun up til sun down and I only have about $1,000. I started asking family if they could help in anyway and they all said they couldn't, l asked churches and they said no. I asked my mom and sister if it's possible that I can stay with one of them for a little just until l have enough to pay for a babysitter so I can go back to work and get a place again. They both said no because they didn't have enough space. I feel defeated and I am afraid. Sorry that this is long I just can't talk to anyor else about it.

hi, i’m going to be homeless in the next day or two. i have a car but im in the northeast, so it’s very cold out. i just got out of treatment. i don’t have any money, im waiting to see if my unemployment application is accepted. has anyone had any luck with getting motel vouchers this winter? is calling 211 a waste of time? any advice would be helpful thank you

Where do you rent when you have poor credit and no real rental history? I have to be out with my son and my parents by Feb 1st and I’ve run out of options. Where can I look at this point? I can’t afford more than $1500 a month or so. It feels like a lot of places have insane requirements to rent!

HUD as a resource is toxic. I mean that both intrrpersonally and physically. Pests. Mold. I literally have tick borne illness and mold toxicity. I didn't think I could be worse than homeless in HUD but here we are.

Im afraid of getting rounded up and thrown into prison. If I could work I would. Being forced to in prison is just going to be getting worked to death.

What can I even do? Do I just end it?

Location: NYC/Manhattan I’m facing eviction and owe $50,000 in back rent ($2,500/month). My situation became this dire because I lost my job and couldn’t find stable work for 9 months. To make matters worse, a friend paid a year’s rent upfront but later reported it as fraud after a fallout, causing the payment to be reversed.

I’m on cash assistance and applied to HRA to cover my arrears on July 31st, but the request was mishandled and had to be resubmitted. By the time it was processed, I was denied because I had received ERAP twice during COVID in 2021, and HRA said it shows a pattern of unaffordability.

I’ve been to court multiple times and defaulted twice due to circumstances beyond my control (e.g., missing deadlines, delays in getting scanned at security). I finally came up with $10K in good faith by subleasing my apartment, but the subtenant backed out at the last minute, causing another default.

Now, I’ve been served a second 14-day eviction notice, with the earliest marshal action date being January 21st. I was advised to apply to Homebase and request a “Fair Hearing” from HRA. Homebase gave me a list of required documents, but I didn’t have my physical Social Security card when I visited on Friday. I plan to return first thing Monday morning with everything.

I’m terrified of being denied again and losing my home of 5 years. I have no family support, nowhere to go, and a dog I deeply care for.

Questions:

Has anyone been denied by Homebase? If so, what was the reason?

What can I do to increase my chances of approval?

Are there things I should avoid saying that could hurt my case?

Are there any other programs or resources I can turn to at this point?

I love my apartment, my block, and the life I’ve built here. I’m desperate for any advice or guidance. Thank you.

As a result of my last employer refusing to provide me paystubs I lost my medicaid. I live in government housing that bills my insurance and now I am at risk of being kicked out. They are being understanding and Ive been able to stay for this past month while I work on figuring this out but they are expecting this to be resolved by the end of the month. I reapplied today and I plan to go in person on monday to see if I can expedite the case. However this a huge variable as I have no idea if it'll go through or if it'll kick in quickly. So I decided to start looking for a place but I only have $500 in savings.

I found a place that is $650/mo month to month with no move in cost through facebook. Its a roommate situation and I don't need advice about scams, it seems legit. I have thought of using my credit card to pull out the money I need. This would add to my cc debt but because I have a decent chance of landing a job in the next week I feel like I may be able to pay the rent by the second month. But this is also a variable, I havent been offered the job yet even though it seems promising. I also dont know how many hours they'll give me so I don't know how much exactly how much money Id make.

What should I do?? Ive looked into SROs but it is hard to find information about where to apply for one. I am trying to avoid a shelter.

Current plan is look at the apartments Ive messaged and stall to commit to paying until I know the job is in the bag. Then also try my best to get my insurance started up because the program Im in was in the process of setting me up in my own apartment. Worst case the medicaid doesnt kick in in time but I'll move somewhere for a month and itll start up and I can potentially still proceed with the apartment process we had started.

I should know about the job by the end of next week so maybe I should just stall until then, I would still have two weeks to figure something out. I cashed out my 401k so thats another $120 in two weeks plus I do delivery gig work which is like $60/week.

Are there cheap places to stay in chicago for under $500/month?

What cities have the most available resources for homeless people? I'd imagine weather is also a factor as well as shelters and food pantries. I also know some cities have portable showers. Where is the best place to be homeless?

In a few days I am going to get on a bus to leave Colorado and start a new seasonal job in Death Valley, CA. This is a very very very good thing which will help me put my life back together and (hopefully) never be this desperate again. Unfortunately I haven’t had any consistent income in several months, so paying for my bus ticket and a few essentials for my dorm room (like sheets and laundry pods and one towel) has left me with almost zero money. I have a payment arrangement with T-Mobile, but I have to pay half of my bill the day I get on the bus and it looks like I’m going to be about $60 short.

Sorry if this sounds crazy or whatever. Just joined the sub a few minutes ago, but I’ve been almost homeless for a very long time and just need to vent

I'm 29 years old and I consistently have a negative checking account balance. I work full-time and I dog sit for extra money, but nothing is keeping me afloat. My mom and two younger siblings depend on me financially and I don't know if I can handle it anymore. I have not been stable in a long time. I have had bad credit since I was young, due to a family member taking out credit cards and cable/internet in my name since I was freshly 18 and I never learned how to financially recover. I was never taught aboutoney as a kid, my parents were evicted from several homes and had multiple cars repossessed and my dad ended up leaving and my mom depended on me financially. Before COVID, I was finally making money and starting to build financially, but lost my job and moved in with my mom and siblings. My mom is a very financially unstable person(for context, years ago, she lost her apartment and had to move in with me in a small studio apartment with my two siblings.) Since I moved in, I have taken over all of the financial responsibilities, with my mom paying as much as she can (she makes around 20k a year currently), but I am responsible for 4 family phone bills, 2 car payments, car insurance for 3 vehicles, $1400 rent, utilities, and all other basic necessities for teenagers.

I took on a sales job, which has gotten me through, but with unexpected expenses (emergency vet bills, car repairs, car down payments, etc) I ended up taking out several high interest loans and credit cards, that have drained my bank account. I finally decided to enroll in debt management, but now I am seeing my credit score drop. I cant afford to live. I have a negative balance consistently, and I just want to be debt free so I can live like a normal person and help my family get on their feet.

I have no extended family to help, I have bad credit, so more loans or debt consolodation loans are out for the question. I am looking for someone to help me out of this position or to at least give me some advice for what to do. My credit is so bad, I won't qualify for my own place, nor could I afford it at the moment. I need help and I don't even know where to start.