Homeless

I'll pass. I never was a hippie back in the 60's. I never saw one in real life... only on film. Not about to become one now.
 
My biggest regret in life is that I never was brave enough to do what I wanted to do instead of what was 'expected' of me. Never made anyone happy including myself. I don't have a thing to lose at this point so why the heck not. Maybe I will!
 
Well, it's nice that you will pass, Lois. Wish I could. But it might come to pass that I will be homeless just like LindaV. Some of us don't have much choice. And being homeless does not mean "hippie". It means homeless. (Hope you don't think I am being rude. Not my intention).

Meanwhile, back at the proverbial ranch of this discussion....Linda, I checked out lots of pros and cons in living in a RV and just traveling. It's expensive. Most places charge the minimum of 30 bucks a night. Times that by 30 and its 900 per month. For an rv. In a park. Probably in the middle of bumf**k egypt. No thanks. THAT I myself will pass on. But, beggars can't be choosers so in the event that we do find ourselves with no place to go...we must rely on our vehicles and know how to survive that way.

So...I am looking for vans. Did it before when I was in my EARLY 20's, so I can do it again. No kids, no worries about them..just me, hubby and our two dogs. He has a truck and a camper shell on it. If I can get a van..we can be like a wagon train. Park close together, have two "rooms". One for sleeping, outside for cooking, one room for toiletries and whatnot. Drive to warmer weather in the winter, cooler weather in the summer. All we need is gas. And brainpower to make it work.

We would probably scout around for a caretaking position...hopefully with housing...on someones property. Free living arrangements in exchange for extra eyeballs if they travel or have a huge property they want to keep private. Who knows what is out there. All I know is...we don't own this house and the landlord can take his house back any time..and he said he DOES want it back. And when he does....we have no family to go to. Just us and the furkids. So I want to be prepared for when that day comes.
 
This would work for me in the van!

mb307-inside-hippie-van-4.jpg
 
Or this:

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Or this:

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Or THIS!!

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All this CAN be done in a van. Cargo van. Mini bus. Conversion van. Retired uhaul.

I just don't want something I have to pull. The truck is just a 6 banger.
 
I could survive in my van it's just really hard. It's a minivan. Not as much room but with out any seats in the back I can put a twin size mattress in there. My biggest worry about having to do that is I can't fix anything on a vehicle if it breaks down. I guess you figure things out as you go along, though, and I'm going to keep reading everything I can online. Something might come up for both of us. Maybe I'll go out in the desert and find me a cave!

But first on the agenda is I have to get my son settled somewhere!
 
i_am_Lois said:
I'll pass. I never was a hippie back in the 60's. I never saw one in real life... only on film. Not about to become one now.
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I was just a girl in the 60's. I started first grade in 1960, as matter of fact. I wasn't really old enough to be a hippie unless I'd been born into that life.

My parents sent me to school because it was the law. Being a girl I didn't need an education because I was just going to get married and have babies and stay home and take care of my husband.

I learned very quickly not to go home and tell mom I talked to another child or that I liked my teacher or playing on the swings was fun. I got yelled at (what do you want to talk to them little sluts for?) and a whipping with a belt for telling her I made a friend. I think wanting to be a hippie was just like not talking to anyone and trying to hide so no one would talk to me. I was looking for escape from reality.

Well, now 'those nasty hippie types' are called homeless. I'd rather have a nice cozy house or apartment to live in but it doesn't look like that is going to be a reality for me. And Kaya and I are not the only ones in this situation.
 
LindaV said:
I could survive in my van it's just really hard. It's a minivan. Not as much room but with out any seats in the back I can put a twin size mattress in there. My biggest worry about having to do that is I can't fix anything on a vehicle if it breaks down. I guess you figure things out as you go along, though, and I'm going to keep reading everything I can online. Something might come up for both of us. Maybe I'll go out in the desert and find me a cave!

But first on the agenda is I have to get my son settled somewhere!
Click to expand...

I don't know your specifics - but have you looked at being a boarder? That's all I've done for the past many years. I've stayed with six other people in a house where ages ranged from me in my 50's down to an 18 y/o newly arrived from Vegas. Six of us. One of whom just got out of prison. After that, I stayed with a family of three for 2.5 years, and only moved to be with my sister. In the house with the six, I paid $350/month for the room, use of the common rooms, and all utilities including internet.

http://corvallis.craigslist.org/roo/
 
Yes, I have looked into the room idea but at this point I'm living with someone who just lets me be here as long as I can provide my own food and don't run the utilities up high. That's going to end because the person is going somewhere else. I have no income except collecting returnable cans and whatever odd job I can pick up.

I'm looking into all the links you and some others have found for me and looking at others, too. I'm still believing I will find a way.
 
LindaV, you are not on SS yet?

Where I am now, I rent out rooms. But this will not last since the landlord said he wants his house back soon. He just guaranteed we could stay until I was 62...which will be this october. My ss will kick in in november. We have rented for 10 years here, but we knew eventually we would have to go since it is not a life estate sorta thing. Too bad, too, cuz I don't really want to move at all. Alas, it isn't my call. Then again..he might let us stay. I won't know for sure until October.
 
I've been reading the posts by both Kaya and LindaV, and it breaks my heart. At this stage of our lives, we all deserve the stability of a permanent roof over our heads, food in our bellies, a peaceful life and medical care/free meds.

I came so close to being homeless myself that it scares the daylights out of me when it's happening or about to happen to somebody I "know" in cyberspace.

Another thing..."senior" living apartments? Even in my tiny hometown in the UP of Michigan there are apartments for seniors, and the age requirement is only 55. There's also a section of the complex for special needs residents (no age requirement) who are able to live without supervision. Some of them are physically disabled, some of limited but functional intelligence.

Those apartments are NICE! Small but nice, and there are even garages available for those who want to/can afford an extra $25/month. The rent is income-based so there are residents who pay nothing at all, some who pay just a small portion and some whose income is fine and pay the full market-rate rent.

Also, are you aware of SSI? It's Supplemental Security Income from the Social Security Administration, and even if you're not eligible for SS yet, you might qualify. If your income is less than whatever is the threshold (I don't know what the amount is), you can qualify for some actual $$ help and being on SSI also qualifies you for food stamps, Medicaid, rental assistance, often phone service, assistance with heat/water/electricity.

Also, once you started receiving Social Security, if your benefits are small enough that you still won't meet the income threshold, it's possible to qualify for SSI in addition to your SS benefit. If you don't also qualify for SSI, you can still qualify for food stamps, Medicaid (before you turn 65 and change to Medicare), rental assistance, phone service, help with utilities.

I only know about this stuff because DH worked for the State of Michigan in what was called then The Family Assistance Agency. His job was to help people to get jobs, get educated for jobs, find additional income/assistance that they were eligible to receive. Many of those people were people with families, but there were a lot of them who were older people with no resources and not able to work.

Of course, except for SSI, help available varies by state.
 
My biggest fear is being homeless...and dependent if ill. I still have enough smarts to get by, but some day I may not be able to. That's what scares me. But..I will trudge along and do the best I can do. Yes, I would love to have a roof over my head that I don't have to move from, but that is not going to happen that I can see in the future so I need to plan now. Before I get to that point.

I put an ad in CL last night. Guy called this morning..he has a 1989 conversion van, Chevy, and wants to look at my car. It will be a straight across trade. We are making arrangements for me to look at it and he to look at mine.
 
Kaya, the only reason I even mentioned the word Hippie was because of the article's headline
Home> Money
[h=1]Groovy! Oldest Hippie Commune Going Strong[/h]I totally agree homeless & hippie are 2 completely different things.
 
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