Preparing for Homelessness
Tags: Homelessness, Planning, Familyhomeless, Homeless, Camping

Make a To-Do List

While many people are making lists of Christmas gifts to buy, food to cook, or things to do to prepare for the holidays, 12 million people are wondering, “How do I prepare to be evicted and to become homeless?”

When lockdowns began last spring the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued a no eviction order, forbidding landlords to evict tenants until January 2021. The order didn’t cancel or freeze rent, it just prevented landlords from evicting tenants who qualified under the CDC’s order.

All of the tenant’s back rent will be due come January 1, 2021. It wasn’t much, but it gave many tenants temporary relief, and a home—at least until January 2021. Without rent relief or an extension of the eviction protection, many struggling renters will be facing eviction—and homelessness, in only a matter of weeks. If this is you, the time to begin preparing for eviction and homelessness is NOW.

Disclaimer: Not everyone has the resources, savings, or ability to pursue all or any of these options. But, hopefully, it WILL spark some ideas and get people thinking about what IS possible.

MAKE A LIST OF RESOURCES

The first thing any survival expert will tell you when you’re lost in the woods is to S.L.A.P, or STOP, LIST, ASSESS, PLAN.

STOP: Everyone freaks out when they’re scared, overwhelmed, or facing danger. When it finally hits you that you can’t pay the rent, and are facing eviction and homelessness in a month, you’re going to freak. People who freak make bad choices based on their emotions. So, STOP. Sit down. Breathe. Get a cup of coffee, tea, soda, or water. Take a few deep breaths and focus. Nothing is happening right this instant. You have time to THINK and ACT and PLAN if you stop freaking out. Now, grab some paper. If you have a notebook, even better. You’re going to be making a list and will need to be able to refer back to it, so keeping it in a notebook — get one at the Dollar Store for $1 if you don’t have one laying around.

S.L.A.P — STOP, LIST YOUR ASSETS, RESOURCES, SKILLS, AND PEOPLE AND PLAN:

List every asset, resource, skill, or person you know.

Assets are the property and things, abilities you own. Televisions, electronics, furniture, clothing, toys, sports gear, etc. If you own your home (mortgage) equity, or the house itself is an asset. If you are young, healthy, fit, or able to work, that’s an asset. If you have a skill—woodworking, knitting, sewing, cleaning, auto repair, that’s an asset.

Televisions, electronics, furniture, clothing, toys, sports gear, etc. If you own your home (mortgage) equity, or the house itself is an asset. If you are young, healthy, fit, or able to work, that’s an asset. If you have a skill—woodworking, knitting, sewing, cleaning, auto repair, that’s an asset. List ALL your good friends. Make a list of the friends, family members, etc. that will let you use their shower when needed (don’t abuse this privilege), accept mail or packages for you, or let you wash clothes there once a week. DO NOT ABUSE or take these kindnesses for granted. Pay them something, even if only a few bucks, for their kindness. Or, cook them dinner, clean their house — or at least clean the bathroom after you use it. Sometimes something like a shower and clean clothes, a hot meal, and crashing on someone’s couch for a night will save your sanity. However, don’t be surprised if no one wants to do this for you. Many of the people you THINK are friends will turn down any requests for help you have. They don’t want to become the default caretaker for you. That’s why offering “rent” for a week etc. can help. OFFERING something, if only to do the cooking, cleaning, maintenance, etc. and then ACTUALLY DOING IT, can go a long way.

Make a list of the friends, family members, etc. that will let you use their shower when needed (don’t abuse this privilege), accept mail or packages for you, or let you wash clothes there once a week. DO NOT ABUSE or take these kindnesses for granted. Pay them something, even if only a few bucks, for their kindness. Or, cook them dinner, clean their house — or at least clean the bathroom after you use it. Sometimes something like a shower and clean clothes, a hot meal, and crashing on someone’s couch for a night will save your sanity. However, don’t be surprised if no one wants to do this for you. Many of the people you THINK are friends will turn down any requests for help you have. They don’t want to become the default caretaker for you. That’s why offering “rent” for a week etc. can help. OFFERING something, if only to do the cooking, cleaning, maintenance, etc. and then ACTUALLY DOING IT, can go a long way. Resources are anything you own or have access to that you can use to function, live, or create an income, housing, or use to stay alive. You might have camping equipment, a tent, a vehicle, use of a friend’s spare bedroom, your parent’s basement, a camper, land you own or could use. You may have access to cans and bottles or metal you can recycle. You may have access to tools or equipment you can operate.

You might have camping equipment, a tent, a vehicle, use of a friend’s spare bedroom, your parent’s basement, a camper, land you own or could use. You may have access to cans and bottles or metal you can recycle. You may have access to tools or equipment you can operate. Names of trustworthy friends who will let you use their address when ordering things, or applying for jobs, or getting mail. Get a PO Box regardless, but some companies prefer a physical address and won’t send things to a PO Box. Make sure the friend is trustworthy.

Get a PO Box regardless, but some companies prefer a physical address and won’t send things to a PO Box. Make sure the friend is trustworthy. If you work or did work, what skills did you use? Can you type? Code? Take photos? Edit video? Do research online? Can you build things, fix things, do things others can’t? List them. If you have family members, they should do the same. Maybe your kids are good dog walkers. If you or any family member you know will be evicted with you can breathe, they should make a list too. If it’s you and a spouse, do these exercises together. Be supportive. Think of things the other can do as well. One of the things I know a lot of women and men can both do is cook, and bake. Baking wedding and birthday cakes started as a way to save money to buy a car for one woman I know. Her cakes became so popular she quit her job and started a business just baking. And, she bought the car she wanted. Some skills you may have:

Can you type? Code? Take photos? Edit video? Do research online? Can you build things, fix things, do things others can’t? List them. If you have family members, they should do the same. Maybe your kids are good dog walkers. If you or any family member you know will be evicted with you can breathe, they should make a list too. If it’s you and a spouse, do these exercises together. Be supportive. Think of things the other can do as well. One of the things I know a lot of women and men can both do is cook, and bake. Baking wedding and birthday cakes started as a way to save money to buy a car for one woman I know. Her cakes became so popular she quit her job and started a business just baking. And, she bought the car she wanted. Some skills you may have: Auto repair, bodywork,

Electrical

Plumbing

Woodworking or carpentry

Applying makeup or cutting hair

Vehicle renovation

Baking, cooking

Yardwork, lawn mowing, landscaping

Cleaning (indoors or out)

Fitness coach or personal trainer

These are the obvious skills but think. There are many other skills you may have. Skills include things you can teach others. You may be a tutor for a foreign language, or math, or reading. If you have a degree you can teach online through sites like:

MagicEars — earn up to $26 an hour tutoring Chinese students online

Wyzant — earn up to $25 an hour

Google “Online tutoring” and find dozens of other sites

Do you have graphics, writing, or other skills to offer? There are more than 16 great sites to sign up with (free) and pitch your services or skills. Here’s a list of my favorites:

Okay, so you’re not a creative person. Think about what you CAN do. In my book, The Homeless Entrepreneur: How to Start a Business When You’re Homeless, Poor or Just Plain Broke (Homeless Hacks Book 1) I list 50 jobs you can create for under $50.

TEMP AGENCIES: You can also sign up at EVERY Temporary Agency in town. Some are great at finding jobs, others you’ll never hear from again. If you don’t hear from them in a week, go by in person and let them know you’re seriously looking for work. The more you stay on their radar the more likely they are to call you. Check online for listings every day if you can’t go by in person.

MYSTERY SHOPPER: Mystery shopping is a real, legitimate thing. You should NEVER pay any agency to become a shopper. They pay you. The pros are that there are always jobs, the biggest downside is it takes up to two weeks or sometimes 30 days to get paid and you need a PayPal account (FREE) to get paid. iSecretShop.com is the agency I use, but there are others. You can belong to more than one. While the compensation for ONE shop might not be that much, if you combine several shops in a day, you can do well! Payment ranges from $8 for buying and eating an ice cream cone, up to a free dinner, drinks and $45 for shopping at a restaurant. You must be able to write passably and pay attention to details they want in the shop, but it’s fairly easy.

Businesses you can start for little or no money include things like:

Dogwalker

Poop scooper

Window washing

Firewood seller

House or pet sitter

Caregiver

Painter

Cleaner

ASSESS

Okay, now that you’ve listed all the things you could do to make money, start assessing the chance each is a true possibility. By assessing your likelihood of success with each job or possibility you can then start to PLAN. Having a plan, even if it is small, and doesn’t look great, gives you something to do to move forward. It’s a positive action that will make you feel better. And, when people are deciding whether to help you or not, having a PLAN to share with them makes them much more likely to help you. I don’t mean saying, “Well, I’m going to have to find a job, and I’m going to _____.” I mean a detailed list, like:

MONDAY, fill in job application at Company A, Company B, Company C.

TUESDAY, Interview for _____ at DIY Temp Agency.

PLAN

Make a plan. Make a plan for the immediate—like getting a PO Box while you still have a fixed address. It’s almost impossible to get one when you’re homeless. And, you still need mail. If you don’t have a driver’s license, passport, or other photo ID, get them ALL now, while you have an address. Everything is MUCH harder when you don’t have a fixed address. If, like some people I know, you still have good credit, now is the time to take out a car loan for an RV, bus, or place to live. Make sure you’re making enough to pay the loan. Don’t buy new, and keep your good credit no matter what. If your credit is bad, then try to find a VAN or RV you can pay cash for. As long as it runs and is streetworthy, you can fix it up later. You need a place to sleep, store your stuff, cook, and plan or run a business of some kind. Keep reading!

Decide how many days you have before you’re evicted, and start hustling. Maybe you can talk your landlord into accepting a portion of the rent or doing work for him/her in exchange for rent. Stay in your current housing as long as you can. Brainstorm your possible options. Don’t assume something won’t work. You don’t know unless you ask or try it. The worst they can do is say “No.” You won’t be any worse off, and may find a solution. Talk it out. Keep planning. Your plan should include things like:

Selling belongings to make money. If you’re going to be evicted don’t put stuff in storage that you can replace later. SELL IT. You’ll only lose money by storing stuff. Sell it and use the money to buy a van, RV, or pay rent on a smaller house or apartment. It might be tough to move out of a four-bedroom house and into a studio apartment, but if you can afford it and save yourself from homelessness, do it. You can move into a better, bigger place if one opens up and the job market improves. At this stage, you don’t need the weight of more debt around your neck. Sell everything you can, then find a less expensive storage unit out in the country and put things there. Realistically? If you can’t afford rent, you can’t afford a $400 to $800 a month storage unit either.

If you’re going to be evicted don’t put stuff in storage that you can replace later. SELL IT. You’ll only lose money by storing stuff. Sell it and use the money to buy a van, RV, or pay rent on a smaller house or apartment. It might be tough to move out of a four-bedroom house and into a studio apartment, but if you can afford it and save yourself from homelessness, do it. You can move into a better, bigger place if one opens up and the job market improves. At this stage, you don’t need the weight of more debt around your neck. Sell everything you can, then find a less expensive storage unit out in the country and put things there. Realistically? If you can’t afford rent, you can’t afford a $400 to $800 a month storage unit either. Finding steady or any kind of income. Whether you’re starting a small cash business, or working for a temp agency, or doing day jobs from Craigslist, you’re going to need money for gas (if you have a car), food, a gym membership ($10 a month at Planet Fitness), or showers, laundry, hair cuts—not luxuries, but necessities to stay and look clean so you can get the work you want/need.

Whether you’re starting a small cash business, or working for a temp agency, or doing day jobs from Craigslist, you’re going to need money for gas (if you have a car), food, a gym membership ($10 a month at Planet Fitness), or showers, laundry, hair cuts—not luxuries, but necessities to stay and look clean so you can get the work you want/need. A place to sleep. In some areas, you find a hotel or extended stay facility IF you can afford it. Otherwise, you’re going to have to get creative. Plan on sleeping in your car if possible. If you don’t have a car, you could rent a U-Haul van or truck for $20 a day and throw some sleeping bags in the back if you have a family. It’s cold but safer than on the street or in a shelter. Just don’t drive around a lot as the .75 cents a mile adds up fast. If you can get a tent, you can sleep in a friend or family member’s back yard, in a park (if you hide well), or in the woods somewhere. If you live in the west or midwest, consider BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land. You can camp free there. If you have a vehicle, you can sleep in it. Park at Walmart for free, or in industrial parks, parking lots, or wherever. It’ll be harder to find parking in tourist destination areas, so you may need to move. Parking in a friend’s driveway is great if you have such a friend. If not, park in legal street parking, or wherever you can find a 24-hour store or restaurant. Truck stops are good places as they often have showers and laundry facilities ($12 average for a shower and laundry is coin-operated). But, parking is free.

FIND A JOB YOU CAN WORK REMOTELY

Finding a job today is so much easier than it was even 10 years ago. My go-to sites for job hunting for remote or on-site jobs include:

RVing AND VAN, CAR LIVING JOBS

If you’re living in an RV, or van, or even your car, and you want to find jobs while traveling around the US, the sites above are good, but there are more sites here:

If you’ve never camped before, you’re about to be thrown into the lifestyle fast if you’re evicted and can’t get into a shelter (which can be horrible or good). Start watching YouTube.com.

Camping 101 — for people who have never camped. This is geared for campers, not people who are about to be homeless, so don’t think you need all the gear suggested in this video. If you’re camping in the woods, and not a campground, you won’t have access to a shower and the amenities listed here. Sleeping bags can get expensive but DO get a bag rated for 20 degrees colder than the lowest temps you plan to experience. If you live north of Tennessee, get at least a 0 or -10 degree bag. If you can’t afford a bag, go to Goodwill and look for wool blankets. Do NOT burn anything in your tent or car. It can kill you, or burn up your tent. Dress warmly.

This is a LOT of information to take in, but if you remember nothing else, remember to Stop, List, Assess, and Plan. You will make it through this and be better for the experience if you don’t freak out. It will be miserable, hard, and emotionally challenging, but it’s just for now, not forever.