# Any ideas on how to survive homelessness?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-how-to-survive-homelessness/939185>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 1, 2021, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-how-to-survive-homelessness/939185 "2021-04-01T22:36:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 9

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2021, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-how-to-survive-homelessness/939185/163 "2021-05-20T18:19:19Z")

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If you just need a place to _be_ during the day, even just as a break from your relatives, I’d like to second the recommendation of a public library. Last time I went to my big-city library, I noticed a very unkempt man sitting quietly at a table in the corner, minding his own business. He wasn’t reading, nor did have have any books or electronics visibly with him. He did have a bag of stuff at his feet. It was a cold day. My guess is that he was homeless, and just wanted a safe place to sit peacefully, out of the weather. Libraries are quiet, and he was clearly in compliance with all the library guidelines, and no one bothered him while I was there.

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**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2021, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-how-to-survive-homelessness/939185/164 "2021-05-20T22:54:06Z")

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Homeless people do tend to hang out at the big library downtown (it’s far away from me now.) Sadly, that library keeps having bedbug outbreaks, and I’ve avoided it ever since the first bedbug infestation.

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**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2021, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-how-to-survive-homelessness/939185/165 "2021-05-21T01:09:37Z")

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In at least some areas, that must have been another major problem of the pandemic for people who needed libraries for refuge. Around here the libraries were closed for months; and, when they reopened, people were only allowed to stay a limited time, because they weren’t able to have too many inside at any one time.

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**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2021, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-how-to-survive-homelessness/939185/166 "2021-05-21T01:19:09Z")

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> [@thorny\_locust](#):
>
> Around here the libraries were closed for months; and, when they reopened, people were only allowed to stay a limited time, because they weren’t able to have too many inside at any one time.

Still is the case with my libraries. Still no in person programming, etc.

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2021, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ideas-on-how-to-survive-homelessness/939185/167 "2021-05-21T02:42:22Z")

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I’m glad for this news!

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