Ask Lemmy

First I would start spiraling deep into depression and lose all hope. This would only be reinforced by the realization that very few programs exist to help with this situation and even fewer that are properly funded enough to be able to help. The slope would only get more steep as you get more and more entrenched into being homeless, not that you want to, and realize that people in general don't really care either. You'll start to stop thinking of yourself as a person or an individual and just as a problem that gets in everyones way. No one else will look you in the eye so why should you look yourself in the eye? You give up asking for help eventually. After being rejected at every other program and being outright ignored, stepped over, or given sandwiches made of dogshit you will just sort of collapse. Drug use will seem more and more appealing because you've lost everything, there's nothing left to lose now right? You'll slip and slide further and further until hope is a distant dream that you're pretty sure was invented, not one you had yourself. Eventually you'll end up in a position where the weather outside is too extreme and it'll force you into a homeless shelter. You haven't stayed here in years, not since you last had your wallet and shoes stolen from you while you slept, but it's either die or this. So you go inside and you're lucky enough to meet a cute staff worker who actually looks at you and treats you like a person and actually looks you in the eye. First time you've really felt like a person in years. He offers a sandwich and something to drink and you have a breakdown. First time you've felt like a person in a very long time. He gets it. Not the first time he's seen it. So you go back every now and again hoping to see him but you run into some other staff. A lot are horrific people who are miserable pieces of shit who genuinely don't deserve to even breathe but a lot of other people are the kindest souls on the planet. People who are trying to help. So you ask for help. For the first time in years. Yet while everyone else ignored you, these people smile and are happy because they've been waiting for you to ask. And they help. They know about the programs that are barely funded and barely known about. They hook you up with a doctor who is able to finally diagnose what the hell is wrong with your head (To no ones surprise after years of trauma from homelessness, and even more from your own life, you have CPTSD) and start getting assistance. They know of another program to help subsidize your rent costs to get you out of homelessness and within 6 months you're moving into your own place and looking back at these staff astounded and amazed that they helped you. They're treated like trash, screamed at, paid fuck all, told to go to hell, and actively attacked but they still push and help when no one else will.

Source: Experience.

i dunno, the premise of this question seems to me like homelessness is a riddle that homeless people just have not figured out. im pretty sure that if the answer could be crowdsourced in eight hours from eighty sysadmins on the toilet, it wouldn't be such an intractable problem

If you live in a blue state, then you get in touch with the housing first types who will get you into a small home and off the street. Then you rebuild your life.

If you live in a red state, you hitchhike to a blue state and do the first step.

Go to the library and look up government assistance programs. There are usually some programs to help you, even if you have to jump through miles of hoops.

Very important post. We need solutions, not judgements or moralistic catchphrases that are impossible (bootstraps)

did I forget my current skills or they are just not in demand anymore? have govenment programs improved? hows my health?

I am barely holding it together in my nice, comfy life. In that scenario the first thing I would do is look for a nice, high building with roof access.

Bluntly, I find my current life more than difficult enough with 4/5 of that (I discount the CC and car as not strictly necessary), so I'd start planning my suicide. That's obviously not meant as advice, it's what I would do.

Crime. I'd do crime. I'm too old to join the Navy, too poor to get some debt. So I'd do the same thing the overwhelming majority of Americans who find themselves in the situation do: Crime.

Which crime? Well, the likelihood of this actually happening to many people who are currently gainfully employed and financially stable is uncomfortably high, so some cards I just have to keep close, and you should too.

No war but the class war.

Try to find a job. Like any job. I'll clean or do manual labor, no shame in that. I'd also try and look for government programs for re-education so I can learn whatever skills are in demand and the moment.

Military.

It sucks, but lots of people join because it's literally their last option available.

If you're over 35 you're out of luck tho.

Americorps, baby! Get those positions with applied housing. I guess I'd make use of shelters and the local library first.

I'm 57 years old with bad knees. I won't make it. First thing I do is go somewhere quiet and kill myself.

First up, go to one of the available help centers and register for welfare. This will give me a monthly income that's enough to cover most of my daily needs. Housing will be more complicated. The state would cover my rent but I'd first need to find a suitable flat in the first place. If I'm lucky, there is social housing available. If not, I'd have to sleep on the street or in shelters for a while. No idea how I'd handle that. Once I have a roof over my head, I can start looking for a job.

I would pick up a trade. You can make decent money as an electrician's apprentice or as a roofer depending on your body weight and strength.

You can also go and join the Ironworkers union.

If trades are not viable for you, I would apply at the cheapest college you can get into that has dorms.

Yeah you're going to be picking up a shit ton of debt but you would have a place to stay and a thing to do to help improve your future and the opportunity to meet new people.

If neither trades nor college or something you can or will do, then I would pick up odd jobs and save up the money to get the cheapest car that you can sleep in and then start figuring out what you can do from there.

Assuming that I'm in a position where even fast food chains won't hire me (and believe me, these guys will hire anyone), beg for spare change; get enough to buy packed water and start selling it on public spots. This should get me enough to feed myself and save up a little. Sleep in parks. Use gyms to shower.

After I can reasonably do my hygiene too, try to apply jobs within my local range. Newspaper job listings could also help a lot here. There always exists some need for a job in somewhere after all. I'd be guaranteed a minimum wage (which is not a lot in my country), but definetly would let me afford rent and food. This is a satisfactory end for some people already, but to get bigger you can try to find work in smaller political parties next to get connections (sometimes people that rake in lot of money could have the dumbest political ideas); or save up to get a small motorbike to open up your job opportunities even further.

Probably join the military, get a degree for 4 years of my life and start fresh. Hope there's not a new war in the mean time and if there is, still probably beats being homeless.

I did this pretty much, except I did have a car and family, but I was stubborn and refused help from my family, so really just the car.

Get to a bigger midwest/ rust belt city (Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, St Louis, Cleveland) cost of living is low which is good for you, and in my experience not many people are moving there so tons of people are hiring at jobs with no requirements (I got a job in like 2 days). Try and get two jobs close to each other, probably downtown. You'll save up money way quicker and have less time to deal with living on the streets.

Find a public park, preferably one with those grills and a water fountain. You can cook food over a fire on thee grill, simple things like oatmeal or ramen. The one I stayed in had bathrooms that were open during the day (at night I just did my business in the woods, used a bag for number 2). It also had an old public building that was closed down but I could climb on top and sleep under the eaves out of sight and the weather. I kept my stuff in my car but I could have kept it there.

For electricity charge you're stuff at work, and get a backup battery, they're only like 30 bucks and it's super important. Libraries are a godsend for a million things, electricity and bathrooms chief among them. After 3 months you should be able to save enough for a shitty apartment and have the job history. Lie if you need to, they won't check more than your current job 9/10 times.

Find a safe area to find a retail job in and start learning some skills. I spent 24 years in retail, over half in management, and made a good living doing so.

You just have to be:

1. Reliable, I can’t stress this enough. Be there before they ask, take every opportunity they give you to work more hours (assuming you’re hourly). This is the #1 reason people don’t get the opportunity to move up and/or get fired.

2. Willing to cross train in other departments. This is always a good thing.

3. Willing to listen to superiors, take criticism and work on what they’re telling you for your development.

4. Developed. Once in a job, look for leaders to work under to mentor and develop you. This is crucial as you’ll excel faster with good leadership. Even Walmart has good leaders if you know what to look for. Does this person lead a team and support them or are they just a boss that demands things happen with no support?

5. Willing to get out of your comfort zone daily. Being homeless will quicken this skill but it’s still imperative that you don’t hold yourself back in the work world because you’re afraid to fail. I mean, how much worse can it get for you?

Lastly, sorry to hear you or others may be going through something like this. I hope shelter, safety, and support is found quickly.

Befriend an idealised version of yourself and start stealing fat from the backyards of clinics that practice liposuction. Then make soap and "other stuff" with the fat while you build a secret society of homeless people and use it to destroy the very infrastructure of world economy and finance.

You should be fine.

I mean ... you've taken away my job skills. So crime I guess.

I'd find a social worker to lean on for help and a shelter for temporary housing. It's a long road, but that's where I would start my journey. You'd have to baby step it and hope a couple things come together simultaneously.