directed toward people here who are homeless/been homeless:
what was the experience like?
not taking about shame or anger or sadness of being kicked out or worse.
im talking about what its like to be homeless or having to rely to stay in a friend's house or being forced to stay in a shelter.
how has your view world changed? are you in a better place now? can you easily see which food items are overpriced and which ones arent?
go nuts.
>>6432157
Are you trying to make a decision about something that may result in homelessness, OP?
>>6432209
had some close calls and almost became homeless but im fine.
just wondering how everybody else feels about being homeless/being stuck in a shelter/etc
My immediate family has been homeless before, but that's probably not quite the same situation as going it alone. Although from what I've heard, that's a pretty shitty way to live. You really can't trust anyone, some people will do their best to take advantage of you or just be cruel to you for no reason other than they're psychopaths, and you'll be scavenging through Dumpsters for food and basic amenities.
Unless you can arrange to stay with a friend, I don't think it's a good idea to do anything that can possibly result in homelessness. If this is related to coming out to your family, then I would hold off until I had time to find stable employment and get an apartment or something. Although there are a lot of government assistance programs available to low-income households, people who go that route tend to get trapped due to these programs having such strict terms about your income. Should your income ever increase, you may be booted out of the housing projects or whatever fixed-income housing you live in. I'm also pretty sure you're not allowed to have any savings while you're using these programs.
>>6432157
I was homeless for a bit over 4 years in LA. I should state that I was employed during the entire time, had a working car and was also serving in the the Air National Guard so money wasn't a pressing issue. Obviously, this means my experience was much different than someone with no money/car or suffering from addiction/mental health issues.
Still, I can give you some perspective on what it's like to live on the street in a big city.
I only went to a shelter twice and my general opinion is to avoid them. The ones in/around LA are massively overcrowded and filled with some really terrible people. The food tends to be super unhealthy and you constantly have to worry about getting your things stolen. Also, a lot of the shelters have religious affiliations and you have to sit through some bullshit sermon if you want to stay. They are usually located in seedy part of town so you also have to worry about being in a high crime area when you're going to/from the shelter.
Being on the street isn't much better at times, you still have crime and crazies trying to murder you or steal your things but generally you will meet people who will look out for each other. You still shouldn't completely trust them, they will steal too, but at least they won't try and kill you, for the most part.
>>6432404
continued
If you're comfortable or enjoy camping, which I was, it can be an ok lifestyle. The biggest obstacles are transportation, finding a place where you can camp alone while going unnoticed, this can be really difficult, and finding a place to keep clean, keep your possessions, and trying to eat healthy.
I had a car so transport wasn't much of a problem. Being in LA this could have really made things much more difficult. I got a small storage unit for $30/month to keep my things in that I didn't want to have in my car. You can get a gym membership for $20-$30/month to stay fit and always have a clean bathroom. Its really important to take good care of your teeth and brush often. Food wise I took the opportunity to eat healthy and primarily ate grains/nuts/fruits/veggies. Fast food is tempting but you should try and stay clear.
Not sure if the above helps much but that was my experience.
>>6432157
bump for more homeless tips
