# Preparing for being homeless **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preparing-for-being-homeless/688287 "2014-05-12T16:53:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![homelesshal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/67e7ee/32.png) [@homelesshal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/homelesshal)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preparing-for-being-homeless/688287/1 "2014-05-12T16:53:26Z")
Hi, My name is Hal, I have just been fired, have very little money and may be homeless soon. I am curious if others have been in this position, how they made it, where to go? Any and all help would be appreciated. I am alone and afraid. Thank you for any encoragement or insight. Respectfully, Hal ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preparing-for-being-homeless/688287/2 "2014-05-12T17:08:17Z")
Hi Hal, I answered your poll, but you might want to consider adding the following information: Rough location, age, sex, education, any other pertinent details The more information you provide the better the quality of that advice is likely to be. For the record, I’ve been homeless twice. There are/may be resources out there to help you. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preparing-for-being-homeless/688287/3 "2014-05-12T17:09:54Z")
Well Hal…you aren’t going to like this….but here it goes: [ol] [li] **Start spending less time of the Internet** - Unless you are looking for work or looking for finanacial assistance, there’s simply no need to waste valuable time online.[/li][li] **Contact your local Salvation Army** - They have the contact information for all the homeless agencies and services available in your area. They may even be able to land you a low-paying job until you are able to get back on your feet.[/li][li] **Reach out to your network** - Unless you are a truly unpleasant person, there are always friends or family who will help you as long as it’s clear that you are helping yourself. Don’t abuse their goodwill and keep your opinions about their personal choices and decisions to yourself.[/li][li] **If you are a US military veteran, contact the Veterans rep at your local unemployment office** - They also have a number of contacts and they will be able to help you land a place to stay and low-paying work untikl you get on your feet. When you get back on your feet, pay it forward by also helping another vet who finds himself/herself in your position.[/li][li] **Sign on with EVERY temp service in your area** - Work at whatever they offer and do a good job. Make it clear to them and any employers that they send you to that you are seeking full time work.[/li][li] **Work several jobs** - Since you are going to have plenty of free time, fill it with as much work as you can do - Eventually, you’l get your bills paid down and you’ll be able to save some money.[/li][li]\*\*Contact ALL of yopur creditors and tell them that you are now unemployed \*\*- Ask them to work with you on setting up payment schedules. If they demur, then advise them that your only other recourse will be bankruptcy. And follow through upon that if it becomes necessary.[/li][li] **Sit back and reflect upon why you were fired** - If you need to make changes in yourself, do so. If you don’t think that you can do this or you don’t want to, consider getting some counseling from a professional or a religious adviser (if you are religious). They may be able to help you see where your actions are leading you into the problems which you are experiencing.[/li][li] **If you have a pet or pets, seriously consider placing them in a good home** - While people like to think of pets as “family members” what they really are are dependents who require you to feed and house them. If you are unable to house them, feed them or take them to a vet for care, then YOU are no longer helping them;you are harming them. Get them into a good home either temporarily (until you get on your feet) or permanently so that they can be properly cared for by someone.[/li][li] **Sell anything that you really don’t need** - Unless it’s an irreplaceable family heirloom or something which will help you earn a living, **you don’t need it**. You do, however, need money and sellling your things will help you obtain it,[/li][/ol] What happens going forward is up to YOU. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![homelesshal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/67e7ee/32.png) [@homelesshal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/homelesshal)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preparing-for-being-homeless/688287/4 "2014-05-12T17:49:58Z")
Thanks so much for the advice, and the encouragement. If you have been there and made it. It gives me hope. Hal ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preparing-for-being-homeless/688287/5 "2014-05-12T18:39:04Z")
I would suggest Southern California. If you have to be homeless, that’s the place. Doesn’t snow, dry and warm for 8 months out of the year. ---
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preparing-for-being-homeless/688287/6 "2014-05-12T19:33:13Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > Well Hal…you aren’t going to like this….but here it goes: > > [ol] > [li] **Start spending less time of the Internet** - Unless you are looking for work or looking for finanacial assistance, there’s simply no need to waste valuable time online.[/li][li] **Contact your local Salvation Army** - They have the contact information for all the homeless agencies and services available in your area. They may even be able to land you a low-paying job until you are able to get back on your feet.[/li][li] **Reach out to your network** - Unless you are a truly unpleasant person, there are always friends or family who will help you as long as it’s clear that you are helping yourself. Don’t abuse their goodwill and keep your opinions about their personal choices and decisions to yourself.[/li][li] **If you are a US military veteran, contact the Veterans rep at your local unemployment office** - They also have a number of contacts and they will be able to help you land a place to stay and low-paying work untikl you get on your feet. When you get back on your feet, pay it forward by also helping another vet who finds himself/herself in your position.[/li][li] **Sign on with EVERY temp service in your area** - Work at whatever they offer and do a good job. Make it clear to them and any employers that they send you to that you are seeking full time work.[/li][li] **Work several jobs** - Since you are going to have plenty of free time, fill it with as much work as you can do - Eventually, you’l get your bills paid down and you’ll be able to save some money.[/li][li]\*\*Contact ALL of yopur creditors and tell them that you are now unemployed \*\*- Ask them to work with you on setting up payment schedules. If they demur, then advise them that your only other recourse will be bankruptcy. And follow through upon that if it becomes necessary.[/li][li] **Sit back and reflect upon why you were fired** - If you need to make changes in yourself, do so. If you don’t think that you can do this or you don’t want to, consider getting some counseling from a professional or a religious adviser (if you are religious). They may be able to help you see where your actions are leading you into the problems which you are experiencing.[/li][li] **If you have a pet or pets, seriously consider placing them in a good home** - While people like to think of pets as “family members” what they really are are dependents who require you to feed and house them. If you are unable to house them, feed them or take them to a vet for care, then YOU are no longer helping them;you are harming them. Get them into a good home either temporarily (until you get on your feet) or permanently so that they can be properly cared for by someone.[/li][li] **Sell anything that you really don’t need** - Unless it’s an irreplaceable family heirloom or something which will help you earn a living, **you don’t need it**. You do, however, need money and sellling your things will help you obtain it,[/li][/ol] > > What happens going forward is up to YOU. > Good luck. Great suggestions! I’ll add… See if your state, county, and/or city has a job center like this one for [Texas](http://www.twc.state.tx.us/). Contact friends and family and maybe put an ad in Craigslist or local paper for a roommate to share expenses with. Sell your car and ride a bike for a while. You eliminate the gas expense as well as insurance payment too. Don’t wait until you are evicted or foreclosed. Contact the landlord or mortgage co and explain your troubles and see if they will work something out with you. You can call credit card companies and sometimes they will let you skip a payment or pay interest only. Go to your church for help. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preparing-for-being-homeless/688287/7 "2014-05-13T11:07:36Z")
While you’re still reading things on the net, do a google search on how to live homeless or some similar combination of keywords. There are many sites that discuss this. There are several good blogs by some actual homeless people. There was one I saw some time ago by a guy who pretended to be homeless for a week or two, just to get a taste of what it’s like, and blogged it. Give me a moment, and maybe I can find some links. (I have a bunch of them bookmarked here somewhere.) But you should be able to find lots and lots of information about it on your own too. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preparing-for-being-homeless/688287/8 "2014-05-13T11:35:33Z")
Okay, here’s my (rather miscellaneous) collection of links with information about being homeless. I’ve collected these over several years. I have no idea if all of them are still live links, but I’m sure at least some of them are. Not all of them are pretty (like that article about homeless people living and dying (is that how you spell die-ing?) under an overpass in downtown San Francisco. A bunch of these links are from Wiki-How, which gives how-to advice on lots of subjects. A lot of them might have additional links to other information. Check them out and see what you find here. Start with this one. It’s got a good collection of stuff, with lots of pages: Survival Guide to Homelessness: Introduction to the Project > **[Survival Guide to Homelessness: Introduction to the Project](http://guide2homelessness.blogspot.com/2004/10/introduction-to-project.html)** > > survival guide to homelessness. A guide not only to surviving, but to living and thriving as a homeless person. Work, hygiene, shelter, human rights, food, stigma, and social life are all discussed. survival guide to homelessness. A guide not only to surviving, but to living and thriving as a homeless person. Work, hygiene, shelter, human rights, food, stigma, and social life are all discussed. The Housing Problem - Where The Homeless Live [http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/2305/Housing-Problem-WHERE-HOMELESS-LIVE.html](http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/2305/Housing-Problem-WHERE-HOMELESS-LIVE.html) How To Survive Homelessness > **[The Homeless Guy](https://thehomelessguy.wordpress.com/)** > > There Is More To Homeless People Than Being Homeless SHAME OF THE CITY / HOMELESS ISLAND / They live - and die - on a traffic island in the middle of a busy downtown street, surviving by panhandling drivers or turning tricks. - SFGate [http://articles.sfgate.com/2003-11-30/news/17518880\_1\_vina-tommy-rettig-crack-pipe](http://articles.sfgate.com/2003-11-30/news/17518880_1_vina-tommy-rettig-crack-pipe) How to Live Homeless | [eHow.com](http://eHow.com) [http://www.ehow.com/how\_2302894\_live-homeless.html](http://www.ehow.com/how_2302894_live-homeless.html) How to Live Homeless. Homelessness is a fact of life in modern civilization. If you suddenly find yourself homeless, you must learn how to take care of your most pressing needs immediately: food, warmth, sleep and… How to Live in Your Car - wikiHow > **[How to Live in Your Car (with Pictures) - wikiHow](https://www.wikihow.com/Live-in-Your-Car)** > > Living in a car isn't something that many people would recommend. However, if by either circumstance or choice you don't have a home property, living in your car might be the only reasonable choice, especially if you don't feel safe at a... How to Panhandle - wikiHow > **[How to Panhandle (with Pictures) - wikiHow](https://www.wikihow.com/Panhandle)** > > "It is a beggar's pride that he is not a thief," says an old Japanese proverb. A panhandler is a person who relies on the financial graces of strangers without providing goods or services in return, though it's just as much work as a wage... How to Live on the Street - wikiHow > **[How to Live on the Street (with Pictures) - wikiHow](https://www.wikihow.com/Live-on-the-Street)** > > People find themselves living on the streets for a variety of reasons, often because they have no other choice. While living on the streets can feel impossible, there are strategies to make it manageable. With a bit of planning, you can... How to Squat in Abandoned Property - wikiHow > **[How to Squat in Abandoned Property: 14 Steps (with Pictures)](https://www.wikihow.com/Squat-in-Abandoned-Property)** > > Squatting, the practice of living in abandoned or unoccupied spaces that a squatter does not legally own, is a great way to avoid paying rent, annex parts of your neighbors' yards, or even take a whole house from someone if you're willing... How to Dumpster Dive - wikiHow > **[How to Dumpster Dive (with Pictures) - wikiHow](https://www.wikihow.com/Dumpster-Dive)** > > As the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Though it may strike some people as an odd practice, dumpster diving, or scavenging for useful items in waste receptacles, is a great way to make sure that perfectly good items... Illegal to be Homeless [http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/crimreport/allcities.html](http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/crimreport/allcities.html) The Homeless Guy [http://thehomelessguy.blogspot.com/](http://thehomelessguy.blogspot.com/) Kevin Barbieux, a chronically homeless man, now lives in San Diego California, and writes of his opinions and experiences. In Sonoma County, a heartwarming safe-parking program for the homeless - [latimes.com](http://latimes.com) [http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-santa-rosa-homeless-parking-20140309,4844345,2524879,full.story](http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-santa-rosa-homeless-parking-20140309,4844345,2524879,full.story) This winter, supervisors decriminalized sleeping in cars in the county. Meant as a short-term fix, it’s been a godsend for many. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preparing-for-being-homeless/688287/9 "2014-05-13T12:26:55Z")
Check your local county for a food bank and a food stamp program (two different things). If you’re American, food support should be pretty readily available. Shelter will likely be a lot harder to find. If you have to sleep in your car, highway gas stations and big department store parking lots (especially 24 hour ones) may not bother you as much. Also bars and casinos, if you patronize them with a drink, tend to be pretty forgiving (they just assume you don’t want to drive drunk). Some states allow you to stay an X number of hours at highway rest stops. These place usually also have running water for sponge showers. Public libraries often have WiFi. Many universities and community colleges can also offer free guest wifi if you go to their library. Some Starbuckses and local cafes will trash or give away their food at the end of each day. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s often dump relatively edible food daily as well. 24 Hour Fitness, if you can afford it, provides a national network of warm showers – important to stay clean for jobs and interviews. Couchsurfing and [Warmshowers.net](http://Warmshowers.net) let you find places to overnight if you’re traveling (pending host approval). But it’s only good for short-term stays, and most hosts have a “no locals” policy. If you’re willing to do farm work, you might consider WWOOFing for room and board while you seek more permanent employment. If you’re comfortable camping, and if it’s safe to do so in your area, many parks and designated wilderness areas have free or very cheap camping. They often will have cheap showers, or at least rivers/lakes, as well. If you have a few months’ of lead time, you may be able to add on unemployment insurance to your credit card (if you have them). It’ll help the interest not accrue as quickly. Good luck!