Have you ever been homeless?

[MusicForTheDeaf]

Have you ever been homeless or know someone who has?

 

[jehoram]

For a while when I was in my twenties. Lived in a van for about 2-1/2 years, bummed showers and sometimes meals from friends. It wasn't fun.

 

[Saint_Ann]

Have you ever been homeless or know someone who has?

How come you don't post in your own threads?

 

[MusicForTheDeaf]

According to google, approximately 14% of the US population has experienced homelessness at one point in their life.

This is roughly 1 in every 7 people.

 

[SPARTAN047]

God, I hope not.

 

[ClockworkCourtesan]

Yes. I poured everything into a business. I was homeless for 3ish years while owning and running a business.

 

[HordHolm]

Yep. It sucked balls.

 

[Butterfly377637]

I was 30 when I graduated from a liberal arts college in NY. Left my husband and went to San Francisco alone with $3,000 cash. Not knowing anybody there, no job prospect or skills of any kind. I paid $400 rent for a small unfurnished room + $400 security deposit + $400 for the last month rent + some more $ for very basic essentials for survival---that left me with no more than $1500. I could've easily become homeless if I couldn't find a job before running out of $.

In retrospect, I wasn't really worried, much less panicky. It must be merely being young that gave me my invisible inner strength and good spirit. While being young life was full of wonderment, excitement and fun. Every encounter with someone or something was fresh and occupied my mind with alluring curiosity..

For a while when I was in my twenties. Lived in a van for about 2-1/2 years, bummed showers and sometimes meals from friends. It wasn't fun.

You had a van to live in. In your twenties, couldn't you find some kind of work just enough for food? (I don't expect you to answer if you don't want to)

 

[MusicForTheDeaf]

I was 30 when I graduated from a liberal arts college in NY. Left my husband and went to San Francisco alone with $3,000 cash. Not knowing anybody there, no job prospect or skills of any kind. I paid $400 rent for a small unfurnished room + $400 security deposit + $400 for the last month rent + some more $ for very basic essentials for survival---that left me with no more than $1500. I could've easily become homeless if I couldn't find a job before running out of $.

In retrospect, I wasn't really worried, much less panicky. It must be merely being young that gave me my invisible inner strength and good spirit. While being young life was full of wonderment, excitement and fun. Every encounter with someone or something was fresh and occupied my mind with alluring curiosity..

You had a van to live in. In your twenties, couldn't you find some kind of work just enough for food? (I don't expect you to answer if you don't want to)

Back then, this might have been possible. Today, you will need to work 16-20 hours a day across 3 to 4 jobs just to afford rent for a tiny apartment like a studio.

Not to mention that it is almost impossible to find a job anywhere without having 4 to 6 years of university education under your belt, along with decades of work experience.

 

[jehoram]

You had a van to live in. In your twenties, couldn't you find some kind of work just enough for food? (I don't expect you to answer if you don't want to)

Well, I earned enough to feed myself but I'd never turn down an invitation to dinner. But I was going through shit from PTSD from Nam, so I had trouble keeping a job until that got sorted out.

 

[Dnthmn_19]

My best friend was homeless for a while in Vancouver, BC. He lived on ducks in Stanley Park.

 

[ericalauren]

I’ve never been homeless. I know quite a few folks who have been homeless before. It’s awful.

 

[HampshireBoy]

Technically I wasn't homeless as I could have lived with my mum or grandparents but in my first year at Polytechnic, in the UK these were a more technical based version of university, I had nowhere to live nearby. I lived in a couple of squats, with other students, which wasn't great to say the least and we then occupied the dean's office. After that the Poly helped us find accommodation.

I've known a couple of people who have couch-surfed or lived in a vehicle after divorce as they couldn't afford deposits and/or rent.

I also know a few people who are sailing round the world or traveling in a campervan, having sold up, but that is an entirely different thing.