Homeless situation...It is "NOT" going away. Could you "survive".?

[UserNameTaken]

Search 'slab city' on you tube and look at random video.


little thread drift...sorry

there was a video on youtube long ago...its blocked or something or taken down over copyright...but it was on the mesa in southwest...i think Arizona...anyhow it was sorta a lawless place and lots of vets there and more.

Yeah, Slab City. It's in Cali's Imperial Valley. Even there the government is pushing people out. This year they greatly increased the long term permit fees, into the hundreds of dollars - pushing more poor people out into less optimal spaces. The sheriff patrols it, but I wouldn't go there unarmed, and since it's in Cali, I'll pass. But it's a last stronghold for free thinkers, characters and a few crazy people.

We're about 5 hours north, even here I'm seeing growing numbers of trashy motor homes squatting in the desert on BLM land, waaay past the 2 week limit. People can't keep up. We are relatively well off, and yet I'm being squeezed since I retired. I'm thinking of buying an RV as a backup, but I don't want to get arrested for not paying $100 a night to park it.

Yeah, I may have gotten of topic, but hope my drivel was interesting to contemplate.

 

[Cabin Fever]

We have friends that were both divorced when they found each other. They were almost penniless due to their divorces. They spent two years in a teepee in northern Minnesota including winters to save money. The teepee had an insulated raised floor, a small woodstove, and a gas light. The property was owned by a friend. After the two years they saved enough money to buy a house. They are often asked to make

their presentation called, "Living in a Circle."

 

[Magus]

That looks pretty doable.

I'm doing it in a Winnebago as I type.
When I wrote my book I wish I had included some of my interactions with some of the more colorful homeless people I ran into Like "Beanie Weenie" The "King of the Bike people" I kid thee not, he had a tribe similar to slab city in Commiefornia, they were called the bike people because they all had bikes. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but there was a drunken brawl on check day, and after it was over the elected Clarence AKA Beanie Weenie their king and ran off the druggies and drunks, while he was alive they had families down there and it was kind of nice and they kept the trash picked up as well, but after he died the place got covered up in trash-heads and the city bulldozed the camp after three murders in a year.

 

[elkhound]

one of my friends is homeless now as he sold his home..he lives in a converted cargo van...certain places he goes is $7 a night with electric,internet etc. you have to move spots every 14 days though...you also have to book on line and many times spots are reserved a year in advance.

the above requires drivers license,vehicle and the ability to drive and move...loss of DL would be catastrophic to this way of living.

i wouldnt want to do that as i get old...i want at least a one room something to stay in..but we never know what we might have to do to survive either.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

The overwhelming majority of homeless are that way because they choose to be.
They either refuse to address their alcohol/drug addiction, or they refuse mental health help.

And before anyone thinks that I'm being "holier than thou" let me qualify my opinion by saying that by the mid 1980's I had drank myself out of jobs, out of a marriage, and into homelessness.
I chose to put alcohol ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE.

Today, by the Grace of God, plus the Twelve Steps and fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous, I have long term sobriety and everything else "normal" people have.
So, yeah, I feel qualified to call out the lazy drunks that have no desire to improve their life and are just worried about getting their next drink. I've been there.

 

[sonya123]

The overwhelming majority of homeless are that way because they choose to be.
They either refuse to address their alcohol/drug addiction, or they refuse mental health help.

when I was homeless, I met other homeless of course. Most of them either had drug or alcohol problems, or mental problems, or were hiding from the law. I met a few women with kids that were in custody battles and hiding, and a few guys hiding from the exs so they didn't have to pay child support.

 

[sonya123]

one of my friends is homeless now as he sold his home..he lives in a converted cargo van...certain places he goes is $7 a night with electric,internet etc. you have to move spots every 14 days though...you also have to book on line and many times spots are reserved a year in advance.

the above requires drivers license,vehicle and the ability to drive and move...loss of DL would be catastrophic to this way of living.

i wouldnt want to do that as i get old...i want at least a one room something to stay in..but we never know what we might have to do to survive either.

that was my biggest fear in California, that my registration and insurance would run out, I would get caught and then I would lose the vehicle and the drivers license. The silly thing was, I had a white Pontiac Firebird. It was a nice car, nobody would have thought it would belong to a homeless person. But very uncomfortable to sleep in

 

[Amish Heart]

Little granddaughter's mom has lived homeless most of her adult life, and chooses this. She is an addict, although appears to be sober at the moment, and she's mentally a mess and gets a state check for that. She is in housing this month, but she usually becomes a problem, then she's out. We'll see.

 

[Sourdough]

What I am going to post is 100% "Valid".

I find it fascinating that "ALL" discussions about homelessness, must evolve into discussions about why they are homeless. Alcohol and drugs MUST enter the conversation.........It MUST.

I have never seen a discussion reference homelessness, that did not deteriorate into discussion about drugs and/or alcohol.

Why does it matter so greatly to people, unless it is them setting the foundation for themselves to FEEL SUPERIOR.

It is fascinating to me that people simply can't control themselves. They "MUST" judge and distinguish themselves as "SUPERIOR HUMANS".

What is the difference between someone who can't control their need to judge others as weaker, and inferior then themselves. Then those who can't control their substance addiction.

I think people who can't even control their own thinking process, their inability too not just others (as inferior) are just as weak as those with subsistence control issues.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

Sorry if my speaking from experience tripped your trigger.

Spend some time in a rescue mission, such as a Salvation Army.





yo

 

[Peanut]

Superiority has nothing to do with it. If suddenly faced with homelessness tomorrow I want the best intel I can get on the people and dangers I’ll be facing. Good intel from reconnaissance is a must!

Lying about the dangers for the sake of someone’s feelings is just foolish. White-washing these people as something else is not logical and could be fatal.

 

[RJ2019]

What I am going to post is 100% "Valid".

I find it fascinating that "ALL" discussions about homelessness, must evolve into discussions about why they are homeless. Alcohol and drugs MUST enter the conversation.........It MUST.

I have never seen a discussion reference homelessness, that did not deteriorate into discussion about drugs and/or alcohol.

Why does it matter so greatly to people, unless it is them setting the foundation for themselves to FEEL SUPERIOR.

It is fascinating to me that people simply can't control themselves. They "MUST" judge and distinguish themselves as "SUPERIOR HUMANS".

What is the difference between someone who can't control their need to judge others as weaker, and inferior then themselves. Then those who can't control their substance addiction.

I think people who can't even control their own thinking process, their inability too not just others (as inferior) are just as weak as those with subsistence control issues.

The "why" of homelessness is the crux of the issue, sorry if you didn't want us addressing the elephant in the room

 

[Haertig]

There does appear to be a superiority complex on display here.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

There does appear to be a superiority complex on display here.

Not from me.

 

[Haertig]

Not from me.

Nope. Not you. Guess again.

 

[Ozarks hillbilly]

I’ve never been homeless per se, but I have had to live in my camper a few times over the past several years and do so mostly through the week now. I’ve been in nice places with electricity and internet and in places that had neither. I think I could survive well enough, but it wouldn’t be fun.

Like others have posted, I’ve met some interesting drifters while doing this. Retired couples, folks on the run and those who had checked out of the rat race.

 

[joel]

The best way to Survive homeless is not to be homeless.
The longest I have lived without a home, sled was nine days in a pup tent.
I have went over 55 hour without food, just water, I never want to do it again.
I have three buildings I could live in, only one is a home.
So I have set up three fall back plans to keep me from loosing everything.
But it's the things you do not see that get you.