More And More People Are Finding Themselves Suddenly Homeless! What If You Were One Of Them?

OneEyedDiva

OneEyedDiva

SF VIP
Location
New Jersey
There have been so many devastating storms, fires, floods and even building collapses, all of which seems to have escalated over the past few years. People, who I'm sure, never thought they would be homeless, now are. I've seen people lament that they have no place to go, one was a senior citizen, possibly with only SS as income. After the latest building collapse in Iowa, I didn't see anything about the Red Cross or other agencies stepping in to find shelter for the residents of that building. My heart goes out to these people. I always say "There but for the grace of God go I".

Sometimes when I see or read about one of these disasters, I ponder what I'd do if we suddenly had to vacate our apartment, even temporarily, like people who had to do so due to toxic spills in their neighborhoods. I thought we almost were going to when we had a gas leak in two buildings (we're adjoined) and the fire department evacuated us. But it was only for an hour or so. However, after that Public Service workers went to each apartment, knocked holes in our kitchen walls to check for the source(s) of the gas leaks. The worst of it was no one could use their stoves until the process was complete (I don't anyway...I have a NuWave cooktop) and we had to wait until the all clear before our walls could be repaired.

I used to think I'd stay at the timeshare until I could return home, but now that I have Deja, I wouldn't be able to unless I can have her declared an emotional support pet. But more and more hotels have now become pet friendly, including all suite hotels, which I'd want to stay in. My insurance would pay for a good amount of that stay if we had to leave because the apartment was deemed uninhabitable. We'd also be able to pay out of pocket for quite some time, if necessary. But some people don't have it like that. What would you do? Would you have someplace to stay readily available? I pray none of us here ever have to find out ! BTW, one of our wonderful SF members was kind enough to provide shelter for some who found themselves in that dire situation.
 

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Something worth thinking about, even planning for since you just never know.
Think maybe I'd try to live in a camper or something on my property until home rebuilt.
Although something like that might be hard to come by if the devastation was widespread locally.

Regardless, I KNOW I'd find a way and would be okay. Just not something I ever want to do again.

And I say again, because 40yrs ago this year, I was homeless for 3months.
I'd quit a job in Mobile Alabama and just headed west with no particular place to go.
Couldn't find a job in Louisiana and ran out of money.
Lived in a tent on Spanish Lake between Lafayette and New Iberia.
Back then, there was the lake for fishing and a creek beside, where I bathed and washed clothes and dishes.
For fresh water, I'd sneak to a house near the lake at night and fill a container from an outside spigot.

I had no money, no job. Donated plasma and whole blood, desperate for even small funds.
I donated at various places and more frequently than advised or allowed to do so.

I could see the highway from my campsite and I'd watch as cars went by and people went about their daily lives.
Maybe they mindlessly jumped in their vehicle to run down to the 7-11 for snacks ... I couldn't do that.
Maybe they just decided to check out something and were driving around ... I couldn't do that.
Maybe off to meet friends for dinner ... I couldn't do that.
Maybe just out for a joy ride ... I couldn't do that.
All those things and much more, I used to do and took for granted.
It was like I was suddenly cast into a parallel universe or something. The rules were different. The people alien.

There was no mail. There were no phone calls. No friends stopped by to chat. I knew no one to go visit or ask for help.
It was impossible in Louisiana in the summertime to stay in a tent, even in the shade, past 8A.M. Just got too hot.

I was able to get in touch with myself and find out exactly who I was, what I was made of and contemplate a future.
Maybe I needed to do that at that stage of my life and why it was ultimately only me who put myself in that situation.

Unlike many who find themselves in those situations, I was able to pull myself up by my bootstraps and turn things around.
I found a job for a sub-contractor at a new apartment complex going up, hanging sheetrock drywall.
The job paid less than min. wage but was paid under the table.
It was very hard work I was ill prepared for in a malnourished state.
And the more rock hung, the hotter it would get in the summertime in Louisiana.
Worked from sun up to sun down for a month. Exhausted every single day, with little energy but to work and sleep.

Finally I was able to save up just barely enough money to get back to Alabama and my hometown, not Mobile.
From there I found better jobs but the future of those jobs was uncertain and certainly not career opportunities.

The homeless trip west showed me I wanted to see lots of places. I joined the military. The military saved my life.
 
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OneEyedDiva said:
More And More People Are Finding Themselves Suddenly Homeless! What If You Were One Of Them?
Click to expand...
I've lived enough comfortable years not to end it homeless, if I couldn't live in my own place I believe I'd choose to end things. I would not want to be a burden to younger folks. Fortunately, I don't expect to have to make that decision.
Pepper said:
throwing myself in front of a subway train is the best option
Click to expand...
Not sure I could do that... ODing on pain killers more my style.
 
Alligatorob said:
Not sure I could do that... ODing on pain killers more my style.
Click to expand...
If I ain't got nuthin' I got no pain killers either. Must take situation in hand. Stand at the back of the station where the train first pulls in, going fast, no time to stop. Had a friend do this in college. She didn't die fast, it was awful. But I figure she was young, now I'm old, I'll go quicker.

eta
Really, there's a time to give up the ghost. I'm too old to be homeless
 
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Well, I guess I’ll share our story…

In 2008, we lost everything we had in a hurricane. We had evacuated to a hotel in in another city just taking three pairs of clothes.

We were not allow to return for about five days. We returned to find our house had been completely flooded. Mold on everything.
Each room looked like the flood waters just swirled things around. The refrigerator was in the bathroom. The dining room table was upside down in green slimy seaweed. Snake in the front room under a wreath that had been on the front door.

When you hear of people losing everything, we did. Everything.
We demolished both homes we had on one lot.
It had been my childhood home (my dad and grandfather build with their own hands) and my grandmothers home.
We were devastated.

I remember breaking down and crying like a baby in front of the insurance adjuster when they were asking questions.
They told us it was complete loss.

We lived in hotels then an apartment until we could rebuild 12 feet up.

So I guess in a way, I know what it is to be “homeless”.
 
It would depend on what caused the homelessness.
Earthquake, tsunami, well everyone would be in the same situation.
I have the survivor instinct, so I guess, I'd find a way for my loved ones and I to do the best we can.
Anything else, so many family members with spare rooms would be glad to have moi!
 
We (my daughter lives with me) would find/make a way. Sons would like help some way. We own our property outright, and would rebuild. My daughter's current bosses would probably discount or 'comp' a room for us at the motel in immediate aftermath. And where we live it would likely take something that effected many of us, but we'd likely find ways to help each other.

A lot would depend on the exact nature of the problem, of course.
 
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As someone who has been thru both natural and manmade disasters, i have to mention that more often than not people can salvage things either before vacating or afterwards. Having only the clothes on one's back is much less common.

Tho the problem with clean up and salvage is often being too disheartened, depressed to sort thru the rubble for still useable items, and if you weren't already the process of salvaging can bring you down--tho sometimes you find something that lifts you a bit. (My mom could not bear to help us clean up remains of house fire when i was 8. Good thing, the charred remains of the feral cat we'd recently adopted were found--Dad gave strict orders to let Mom think it ran away).

When you live in somewhere evacuations are possible any year due to hurricanes, or destruction due to tornado or earthquake a fact of life it's a good idea to keep an emergency bag/box that can easily be taken with you. If the threat is seasonal--check the 'go' container at beginning of season for whatever. Make a plan for transporting pets.

My point being that thinking about what you value most is important. For my daughter and i, as upset as we would be to lose our books, and memorabilia--in general things are replaceable, and memories endure. The house fire in childhood taught me to share photos with family and now we have many uploaded online and so retrievable, protecting living beings (family, including cats/dogs/other pets) is top priority.
 
Over two hundred families in the Halifax region find themselves suddenly without a home. 150 of their houses burned to the ground, nothing left but ashes and chimneys! Fifty other homes were severely damaged! And the flames moved so fast that they barely escaped with their lives! I feel so incredibly sorry for all of them since the housing situation in the Greater HRM is desperate, ever since the influx of new people during Covid! Maritimers are living up to their willingness to help out a neigbour but clothes and other necessary items will not ensure that families will find a place to stay while their homes are being rebuilt! Heartbreaking!
 
OneEyedDiva said:
There have been so many devastating storms, fires, floods and even building collapses, all of which seems to have escalated over the past few years. People, who I'm sure, never thought they would be homeless, now are. I've seen people lament that they have no place to go, one was a senior citizen, possibly with only SS as income. After the latest building collapse in Iowa, I didn't see anything about the Red Cross or other agencies stepping in to find shelter for the residents of that building. My heart goes out to these people. I always say "There but for the grace of God go I".

Sometimes when I see or read about one of these disasters, I ponder what I'd do if we suddenly had to vacate our apartment, even temporarily, like people who had to do so due to toxic spills in their neighborhoods. I thought we almost were going to when we had a gas leak in two buildings (we're adjoined) and the fire department evacuated us. But it was only for an hour or so. However, after that Public Service workers went to each apartment, knocked holes in our kitchen walls to check for the source(s) of the gas leaks. The worst of it was no one could use their stoves until the process was complete (I don't anyway...I have a NuWave cooktop) and we had to wait until the all clear before our walls could be repaired.

I used to think I'd stay at the timeshare until I could return home, but now that I have Deja, I wouldn't be able to unless I can have her declared an emotional support pet. But more and more hotels have now become pet friendly, including all suite hotels, which I'd want to stay in. My insurance would pay for a good amount of that stay if we had to leave because the apartment was deemed uninhabitable. We'd also be able to pay out of pocket for quite some time, if necessary. But some people don't have it like that. What would you do? Would you have someplace to stay readily available? I pray none of us here ever have to find out ! BTW, one of our wonderful SF members was kind enough to provide shelter for some who found themselves in that dire situation.
Click to expand...
Oh, I would love to provide shelter to a truly needy person or family. We have a 2 bedroom apt. over the big garage - its in need of some reno but has a beautiful view of the trees and
you feel like you're in a tree house when you live there. We did while building the main house.

If we were homeless (temporarily) because of fire or other damage, would probably
stay in a nearby Holiday Inn Express or something like that - they have monthly rates
that are surprisingly reasonable. would be a fine place to stay - take the indoor cat with us and come back daily to feed the two outdoor ones we inheritied.

God bless all that are really homeless. I knew one or two many years ago when we lived in
Cleveland, Ohio. The local cafe owners and other merchants used to look out for them.
Remember getting ask "hey, you seen Prospect Annie?"...they kept tabs on them.
 
Depends on what caused the homelessness. If limited to our home only, our first choice would be our RV, but if that was also unlivable our children would undoubtedly step up, as would close friends. Hotels would also be fine. If our dog wasn't welcome one of our kids would take him in.

If none of those were possible because of a widespread disaster, we'd temporarily relocate.

I love some of my possessions (who doesn't?) but after shoveling great heaps of it into trash cans after a major earthquake in 1994, my attachment to inanimate objects is minimal.
 
Californian is prone to earthquakes, wildfires, mudslides, and the occasional flood, so I have lanterns, tents, sleeping bags, a propane stove and all that sort of stuff on hand. Plus, the California National Guard has three components: the CA Army National Guard, CA Air National Guard, and CA State Guard. They coordinate with the American Red Cross, which has 5 divisions in Calif: Bay Area, Central Coast, Heart of the Valley, North Bay and Silicon Valley.

Those organizations have had a lot of practice here, so they can usually set up shelters and get food, blankets, clothing, and medical staff and supplies to a disaster area within a few days.

But whatever the disaster, as long as it hasn't effected at least one of my kids, we'll always have a roof over our heads and plenty to eat. And vice-versa.
 
mrstime said:
I am reminded that prison would be the answer, good food 3 times a day , get to play outside every day, treatment probably better than a retirement home, free medical care. Homeless ? Commit a crime
Click to expand...
From what I've heard of prison the food is crap, the beds uncomfortable, the yards blacktop, the medical care stingy and hard to come by, the privacy non-existent, and the treatment abysmal. Other than that, this is a great plan. Maybe Canadian prisons are better.
 
Naturally said:
Something worth thinking about, even planning for since you just never know.
Think maybe I'd try to live in a camper or something on my property until home rebuilt.
Although something like that might be hard to come by if the devastation was widespread locally.

Regardless, I KNOW I'd find a way and would be okay. Just not something I ever want to do again.

And I say again, because 40yrs ago this year, I was homeless for 3months.
I'd quit a job in Mobile Alabama and just headed west with no particular place to go.
Couldn't find a job in Louisiana and ran out of money.
Lived in a tent on Spanish Lake between Lafayette and New Iberia. The lake is now filled in and there's a residential development there.
Back then, there was the lake for fishing and a creek beside, where I bathed and washed clothes and dishes.
For fresh water, I'd sneak to a house near the lake at night and fill a container from an outside spigot.

I had no money, no job. Donated plasma and whole blood, desperate for even small funds.
I donated at various places and more frequently than advised or allowed to do so.

I could see the highway from my campsite and I'd watch as cars went by and people went about their daily lives.
Maybe they mindlessly jumped in their vehicle to run down to the 7-11 for snacks ... I couldn't do that.
Maybe they just decided to check out something and were driving around ... I couldn't do that.
Maybe off to meet friends for dinner ... I couldn't do that.
Maybe just out for a joy ride ... I couldn't do that.
All those things and much more, I used to do and took for granted.
It was like I was suddenly cast into a parallel universe or something. The rules were different. The people alien.

There was no mail. There were no phone calls. No friends stopped by to chat. I knew no one to go visit or ask for help.
It was impossible in Louisiana in the summertime to stay in a tent, even in the shade, past 8A.M. Just got too hot.

I was able to get in touch with myself and find out exactly who I was, what I was made of and contemplate a future.
Maybe I needed to do that at that stage of my life and why it was ultimately only me who put myself in that situation.

Unlike many who find themselves in those situations, I was able to pull myself up by my bootstraps and turn things around.
I found a job for a sub-contractor at a new apartment complex going up, hanging sheetrock drywall.
The job paid less than min. wage but was paid under the table.
It was very hard work I was ill prepared for in a malnourished state.
And the more rock hung, the hotter it would get in the summertime in Louisiana.
Worked from sun up to sun down for a month. Exhausted every single day, with little energy but to work and sleep.

Finally I was able to save up just barely enough money to get back to Alabama and my hometown, not Mobile.
From there I found better jobs but the future of those jobs was uncertain and certainly not career opportunities.

The homeless trip west showed me I wanted to see lots of places. I joined the military. The military saved my life.
Click to expand...
Wow! As we say "You been through sumthin' " !! And you came out ahead. Your determination and resilience in the face of severe hardship is to be applauded! Discovering who you really are and what you're really made of is priceless.

@Hopeful1 Your story touches me as well. I've had flooding in my apartment from broken pipes and neighbors above me letting their water overflow. It was frightening, frustrating and the clean up was a pain but nothing compared to what happened to you!
 
Naturally said:
Something worth thinking about, even planning for since you just never know.
Think maybe I'd try to live in a camper or something on my property until home rebuilt.
Although something like that might be hard to come by if the devastation was widespread locally.

Regardless, I KNOW I'd find a way and would be okay. Just not something I ever want to do again.

And I say again, because 40yrs ago this year, I was homeless for 3months.
I'd quit a job in Mobile Alabama and just headed west with no particular place to go.
Couldn't find a job in Louisiana and ran out of money.
Lived in a tent on Spanish Lake between Lafayette and New Iberia. The lake is now filled in and there's a residential development there.
Back then, there was the lake for fishing and a creek beside, where I bathed and washed clothes and dishes.
For fresh water, I'd sneak to a house near the lake at night and fill a container from an outside spigot.

I had no money, no job. Donated plasma and whole blood, desperate for even small funds.
I donated at various places and more frequently than advised or allowed to do so.

I could see the highway from my campsite and I'd watch as cars went by and people went about their daily lives.
Maybe they mindlessly jumped in their vehicle to run down to the 7-11 for snacks ... I couldn't do that.
Maybe they just decided to check out something and were driving around ... I couldn't do that.
Maybe off to meet friends for dinner ... I couldn't do that.
Maybe just out for a joy ride ... I couldn't do that.
All those things and much more, I used to do and took for granted.
It was like I was suddenly cast into a parallel universe or something. The rules were different. The people alien.

There was no mail. There were no phone calls. No friends stopped by to chat. I knew no one to go visit or ask for help.
It was impossible in Louisiana in the summertime to stay in a tent, even in the shade, past 8A.M. Just got too hot.

I was able to get in touch with myself and find out exactly who I was, what I was made of and contemplate a future.
Maybe I needed to do that at that stage of my life and why it was ultimately only me who put myself in that situation.

Unlike many who find themselves in those situations, I was able to pull myself up by my bootstraps and turn things around.
I found a job for a sub-contractor at a new apartment complex going up, hanging sheetrock drywall.
The job paid less than min. wage but was paid under the table.
It was very hard work I was ill prepared for in a malnourished state.
And the more rock hung, the hotter it would get in the summertime in Louisiana.
Worked from sun up to sun down for a month. Exhausted every single day, with little energy but to work and sleep.

Finally I was able to save up just barely enough money to get back to Alabama and my hometown, not Mobile.
From there I found better jobs but the future of those jobs was uncertain and certainly not career opportunities.

The homeless trip west showed me I wanted to see lots of places. I joined the military. The military saved my life.
Click to expand...
Your experiences can teach us all a thing or two. Glad you made it
 
Liberty said:
Oh, I would love to provide shelter to a truly needy person or family. We have a 2 bedroom apt. over the big garage - its in need of some reno but has a beautiful view of the trees and
you feel like you're in a tree house when you live there. We did while building the main house.

If we were homeless (temporarily) because of fire or other damage, would probably
stay in a nearby Holiday Inn Express or something like that - they have monthly rates
that are surprisingly reasonable. would be a fine place to stay - take the indoor cat with us and come back daily to feed the two outdoor ones we inheritied.

God bless all that are really homeless. I knew one or two many years ago when we lived in
Cleveland, Ohio. The local cafe owners and other merchants used to look out for them.
Remember getting ask "hey, you seen Prospect Annie?"...they kept tabs on them.
Click to expand...
I'm quite willing to make myself homeless for a luxury ''treehouse'' in Texas, on my friends' beautiful property... :sneaky::giggle:
 
I don't need to worry about becoming homeless if I lost my residence.

If my 4-plex townhouse and vehicle were destroyed by earthquake or fire, the major pain would be a loss of all my possessions and computer gear. Data is always backed up including photography but would still be a huge pain taking months to straighten out. Would need to rent another residence that would be easy since I wouldn't have all the current belongings to fill it with. Lots of sporting goods like ski, fishing, and backpacking gear and camera and computer equipment to buy would require spending 5 figure bucks to replace. And if I lost a vehicle would pay cash for some low cost used vehicle. Plenty of money in the bank and my monthly SS benefit checks alone are more than enough to take care of any modern 1 bdrm monthly rentals.
 
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I think once I got settled down in the hotel suite and able to plan my next steps, I'd be looking into whether to rent or buy another co-op or condo. One of my weird hobbies is periodically checking to see what apartments are available in my chosen areas of the day. Renting a comparable apartment (to what we have) here in N.J. is very expensive and could easily cost four times what we currently pay for a two bedroom. So my quandary would be whether to rent or buy.
 

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