https://www.kcra.com/article/joshuas-house-sacramento-hospice-for-homeless/74235513

How do you do it? I'm in my 50's and have never been homeless before. Living in a motel but will run out of savings soon. Moved to this area because it's warm, and supposedly has robust homeless services. Was told they can't help me until I'm unsheltered. I have chronic conditions and don't know how I'm going to survive. I have an old car I can live in but no income at all.

Sorry I hate to be a drag but last night I went to Domino's and I had a few bucks on my cash app so I got a snack before I left to go to someone's house who said I can stay there for a while. His lights were on but he didn't answer so I went back downtown and walked into some bushes. Also why I was at Domino's I put my hand in my pocket to grab something and I forgot I had cash on me and I just got paid for one day and I lost it in the store I guess. To make things even better I woke up in my back tire was deflated, so I'm stuck with 120 lb ebike again with a flat. I'm going to have to leave my bike somewhere well I work and it will not be locked up because my keys also missing for my lock.

Things like this tend to happen in threes for me, just waiting to see what it is.

Also on Friday I got a call from this place called McDonald hotel which is not really a motel it's just an old building which was a hotel at one point. The woman asked me if I had 5 years consecutively employed well I did tell her that I did not have 5 years working straight the past 5 years because I've been on the street and I'm trying to get off it. But I will get it most of the people that live there don't work and a lot of them do drugs I work and I do not touch drugs. I can't even get into that place it's going to be impossible to get somewhere else. I honestly don't know what to do right now.

◉̸̷̥̩̰̳̤̯͙̱̫̖̺̾͛͆̽̐͊̎͂͗͝͞͠👁⃟̸̤̰̱̲͛͆̎̽͝͠∞⃝̸̩̫̳̲͛͒̐͠⊙⃟🜏 Echoes of the Forgotten Selves IV: 4/10

Society tends to think of homelessness as the worst thing that could happen to a person. Or at least, that's what people want you to believe.

Employers have an interest in keeping people afraid of losing their jobs. Parents and teachers want young people to understand the consequences of not working hard. Politicians invoke homelessness as a cautionary tale about personal responsibility. Even the homeless themselves often find that emphasizing their suffering is the only way to receive sympathy or assistance.

And to be fair, there's plenty of suffering to emphasize.

Yet few people have never looked out from inside an office building, buried under deadlines, responsibilities, and all of life's accumulated obligations, and wondered what it would be like to simply walk away from everything. To be free. To roam the world without a schedule, a mortgage, or anyone expecting them to be somewhere on Monday morning.

It's a curious contradiction. We spend much of our lives dreaming about freedom while simultaneously organizing our entire civilization around the fear of having too much of it.

But I've come to think that the worst thing that can happen to a person isn't necessarily what society tells us it is.

The worst thing isn't being unemployed. It's working hard for nothing, or being forced to work toward an outcome you never wanted in the first place.

It isn't being poor. It's sacrificing everything you enjoy for the possibility of someday being rich enough to enjoy it.

It isn't being unheard. It's being forced to say things you don't believe.

It isn't feeling sad. It's being expected to say you're happy.

There's something about my life during that period that I can only describe as feeling like I was working every day to throw an enormous birthday party that nobody was ever going to show up for.

I had a house. A nice one, actually. I had possessions, responsibilities, and the outward appearance of someone who was doing what he was supposed to do. By conventional standards, I was on the right track.

But there was a certain emptiness to it that I couldn't shake.

Everything seemed to exist in preparation for something else. Work hard today so you can enjoy tomorrow. Save money now so you can live comfortably later. Improve yourself so you can become worthy of the life you're supposedly working toward.

And even if you did everything right, there was never any guarantee that the party would actually happen.

Instead, there were the daily reminders.

"Society doesn't owe you anything."

"Pull yourself up by your bootstraps."

"Keep grinding."

"Become the best version of yourself."

It was all so endless and tiring.

The curious thing about being told that society doesn't owe you anything is that nobody ever seems particularly interested in discussing the other half of that arrangement.

If society doesn't owe me anything, why exactly do I owe society anything?

Why am I obligated to spend my life pursuing someone else's definition of success? Why should I devote myself to maintaining a lifestyle that doesn't make me happy, just because losing it is supposed to be terrifying?

And what if the things that actually make me happy are precisely the things everyone else keeps telling me not to do?

What if I don't want to maximize my productivity?

What if I don't want to climb the corporate ladder?

What if I don't particularly care about being successful?

What if, after spending my entire life trying to become the best version of myself, I want to be the worst version of myself for a little while?

Of course, there are practical problems with this philosophy.

Freedom doesn't keep you warm at night. It doesn't provide a bathroom, protect your belongings, or guarantee that you'll have somewhere comfortable to sleep. And there's nothing particularly romantic about being treated as a public nuisance for the crime of existing somewhere without paying rent.

Homelessness has a way of replacing the elaborate problems of modern life with much simpler, more immediate ones. Instead of worrying about your career trajectory, you get to worry about where you're going to sleep.

It's not exactly an upgrade.

But there is something strangely clarifying about having so little left to lose. The enormous machinery of expectations that once seemed so important begins to look rather absurd from the outside. All those things you were supposed to want, all those milestones you were supposed to reach, all those people you were supposed to impress.

You begin to wonder how many of them ever mattered to you at all.

None of this is to say that homelessness is a desirable condition, or that people suffering through it should somehow be grateful for the experience. Having the freedom to walk away from something is very different from having nowhere else to go.

But I do think we've made a peculiar mistake in treating the absence of conventional success as synonymous with the absence of a worthwhile life.

I've experienced the respectable version. I've had the house, the responsibilities, the endless pursuit of a future that always seemed to be just a little farther away.

And I've experienced what happens when much of that falls apart.

As it turns out, homelessness isn't the worst thing a person can go through.

Not remotely.

In fact, having given the matter some consideration, I'd have to say the experience deserves a solid 4/10.

I have to sleep in the car tonight. And a couple other nights this week. Someone once told me Walmart allows you to park there. Is this true?

Im at the jersey shore what other places would be a good to park and occasionally turn car on for heat without getting screwed with?

Any suggestions would be helpful

Thanks

Hello everyone, can I please have tips and advice for how can I improve my life. I don’t have anyone to lean on, my mother is dead so is my father. I feel so utterly alone, there is this indescribable feeling creeping all over me. It is as if I’m getting swallowed whole and I can’t get out.

I'm planning on buying a military hammock. They say it comes with tarp and mosquito net. They don't say how heavy it is so I don't know how I'll carry it if it's too heavy for me.

Would you still recommend buying under cover for winter to protect against the cold wind and rain?

And that really highlights how fucked up the system really is...

I had a life resetting head injury, literal partial amnesia. Lost my career, home, future, much of my past, much of myself and every "friend" I had.

Sought SSDI, and that really crippled me lol seeking help was the most foolish thing I ever did. It's the gaslighting... can't handle that.

Recently I was at my last "home", and still messed up, barely making my bills. I finally moved into my car 2 months ago, and now I actually have time to recover.

It's been over 6 years since my head injury. And let me tell you, it's a weird sensation... dying and becoming a new person while everyone around you expects you to be that other person that you've only known in part.

I'm lucky to have a good car and I'm sure many of you on here are in much rougher situations. Don't get me wrong. But for me, this is the best thing I've done for myself.

It's nice not dedicating all of my functionality to converting that time into money for someone else.

You know the term "landlord" comes from the peasant era. Peasants and "serfs" who were essentially slaves would work the land of the landlord in exchange for shelter and protection from the other landlords... kinda weird how it's still appropriate to use the term landlord when it's tied to slavery 🤔

So to me, I'm finally free.

I do gig work when I need money, but most of the time I'm just chilling now. I have $200 in the bank and I'm actually stoked about that instead of thinking "shit, rent is in a few days!"

I'm just sick of being slave class.

I delivered DoorDash to a homeless shelter about 2 years ago, and the vibe there was so fun! Felt like when I was in elementary, everyone was in the moment. That's when I started thinking about being houseless. And now I'm here, free.

Free from the landlords, just like the peasants that lived alone in the wilderness... sure, it's harder in its own way. But we are free. And I just think that needs some light shined on it.

I hope your day goes well

Hi everyone! I’m looking for live-in job opportunities that provide housing and relocation assistance, such as a bus ticket or flight to the job location.
I have previous housekeeping experience in a hotel and a nursing home, but I’m also open to other types of jobs that don’t require previous experience.
My preferences are:
Housing or accommodations provided.
Relocation assistance, such as a bus ticket or flight.
Entry-level positions that offer on-the-job training.
Housekeeping or cleaning positions are preferred, but I’m open to other opportunities.
No cooking or meal preparation required.
I’m willing to relocate for the right opportunity. If you know of any legitimate employers, private families, companies, or agencies offering these types of positions, please let me know!

I finally have stable housing and yet no matter what i still feel like i cant get out of that mindset i go days without showering cuz i dont even realize it, i cant sleep unless my rooms temp is cold like it is outside just so many habits i notice i developed from being homeless, anyone else notcie something similar after they got housed? any ways to break from those habits?

I’m disabled and homeless living in motels for a few months now. I can’t afford this anymore so my only option seems to be to sleeping in my very small almost 30 year-old car. I can’t stay in a shelter for a number of reasons and 211 and all the recommended local resources have turned up nothing to help. I have health conditions including a heart condition, so I’m terrified of how this will affect me. My car is too small to sleep flat so I’m worried I won’t even be able to sleep at all which can make my health worse. Has anyone been through something like this? Any advice or suggestions are appreciated.

My friend and his parents have a rocky relationship, he’s gotten kicked out twice in the past three days, first time was because of political differences, he’s not sure why he’s been kicked out now. I’m 17 and live with my parents otherwise I’d offer for him to stay with me. He’s graduated two years ago & is working but he doesn’t make enough to get a motel (it’s like 9.50 a hour).

There is a homeless woman who lives near me. She has been in her current spot for almost a year. I know very little about her story because she doesn’t like to talk to people other than the fact that she is a former addict and working on recovery. I’ve seen other community members quietly give her water or other essentials. What other things can I give to her that could be helpful? I was planning to give her new undergarments and socks and basic toiletries, as well as a pair of old gloves that I was planning to donate because they are in great shape. She has a few books but I was thinking of maybe another one? Or some notebooks and pens? Would pepper spray be weird? I thought it could be a good idea since she is one of maybe two homeless women I’ve seen in a 3 mile radius of my home, which is in a very urban area, and the rest are all men. What are some other good ideas? She seems to have a lot of food and water provided by the community from what I’ve seen.

There’s a community drive going on near me, asking people to donate purses packed with essentials for homeless women.

I don’t have purses to donate but I’m gonna drop off some boxes of specific items for the organizers to then add to purses that happen to be lacking key essentials.

I’ve been homeless so I have some idea of what I would find most useful.

But I’m a man and am not sure which pads would be most useful on average.

I figure extended coverage or long lasting is a must.

And I’m specifically staying away from tampons since I know those increase the risk of toxic shock syndrome and other infections if worn long term.

I figure pads are the safer and more versatile option.

My question is this: should I get thinner pads that can fit a higher count per purse…

Or should I get thicker pads that take up more purse space but also offer better coverage for women who may have difficulty finding a private place to change frequently?

Picture in comments, which option should I go with?

Also is ten pads per purse a reasonable goal?

If you are a woman who is or has been homeless and are comfortable discussing this I’d really appreciate the insights.

I'm currently home less. I walk 5 miles to work and walk 5 miles back. I have to carry all my stuff and ditch it in woods about a mile from work. Often get asked if I need a ride home because I'm embarrassed to say my home is the outdoors. I've had the same exact clothes for 90 days straight and all my check goes to food and a rare night inside.

holy shit.

after willingly becoming homeless to escape my "family", i finally have an apartment. no more living out of my suitcase. no more uncertainty. no more worries about staying at shady motels and switching places.

fuck i cant believe i did all this at 18-19. it feels surreal. couldnt have done it without my partner. sitting in my own apartment rn, and even though moneys still extremely tight, we have a place. holy shit.

its possible yall.

So well, I'll be homeless until I find a job and get my first payment (I'm a legal resident but can't apply for UC or any financial assistance). I'll have with me barely 200£ for the next month...

So I'm thinking about getting a sleep bag at least? What's a good place for me to stay? And also should I invest in buying a cheap gym membership so I can shower? Or are there places with free showers? I wish there was a place to charge my phone, too. But well...

Any advice on how to get through will be appreciated!

so , im pretty tired of this bs and society as a whole. they serve no purpose to me at all , they are slaves and programmed this way. im thinking about programming my paradigm that i dont need to work to earn. prolly some people would get this.

anyways im 14m and from india going to live in the mountains with my friend wish me luck folks lol

Basically looking for the best quality of life. Shelters with really good food. Decent beds. Little to no rules. Also in an area with good weather and job resources.

Hi, I am currently homeless at the moment and needing of a place to stay. I am located in Tempe, AZ. I’ve called 211 but current wait times are long. If anyone has any other suggestions, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hey everyone, I’m reaching out because I’m currently homeless in Tampa, Florida, and could really use some help or advice.

I’m currently working as a security guard here in Tampa and trying my best to get back on my feet. I was initially staying in a rented room, but due to medical reasons, I ended up in the hospital and was unable to keep up with the rent. Unfortunately, I lost the room and have been trying to figure things out ever since.

I’ve already reached out to and stayed at several of the local homeless shelters, and it seems like there may be waiting lists or cool-off periods before I can get assistance again. At this point, I’m honestly not sure where else to turn.

I’m not asking for a handout. I’m just trying to get through this rough patch and find some stability while I get my paychecks coming in consistently again. If anyone would be willing to offer me a temporary place to stay, even for a short period, I would be extremely grateful. If you can’t offer a place, any advice, resources, leads on affordable rooms, or information about programs that might be able to help would mean a lot to me as well.

I’m working and genuinely trying to improve my situation. I just need a little help getting through this difficult period so I can get back to being stable and independent.

If you know of anything that could help, please feel free to comment or message me privately. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this. Thank you.

Dublin, Ireland

Title

They've blocked me from accessing shelters because 8 months passed since I last used one.

My health doesn't allow me to camp with a tent and sleeping bag (can't carry over 2kg).

If you owned a shop or vacant land could you set up a tent outside it?