Shelters

Homeless Shelters, or just Shelters, are an in-game building that the player can sleep in overnight. They provide a number of benefits: they protect the player from the weather, they grant a small amount of Hunger, and they are generally safer than sleeping on the streets. Staying in the same shelter for many nights in a row will grant the player residency there, which increases their Paperwork and allows them to get a bank account and a library card.

All shelters open at 4:30 PM. The player can enter between 4:30 PM and the shelter's curfew, which can be as early as 6:30 PM or as late as 8:30 PM. If the player comes to the shelter after curfew, they will be turned away at the door, unless they have the Shelter Regular perk (no curfew for shelters, if staying in the same shelter as the previous night or residence shelter).

Every shelter has a number of permanent characteristics. Some shelters have a sign indicating that they are a family & women's shelter; characters with the masculine sprite will not be allowed to stay there, being told that it is for women and children only. Each shelter is run by either charity or government. Gaining residence at a shelter will allow the player to instantly change their residence when visiting another shelter run by the same organization. Each shelter has its own curfew, between 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM (confirm range). Finally, each shelter has its own advantage/disadvantage.

Advantages:

* Shower Rooms: Restore hygiene and 1 happiness if you arrive at least 2 hours before curfew.
* Animal Friendly: Restore some dog hunger when staying here and gain 1 happiness if you have the dog.
* Lenient: Curfew is later at this shelter.
* Some Comfy Beds: Gain 2 happiness if you arrive at least 2 hours before curfew.
* Extra Welfare: Charity events occur more often at this shelter.
* Secure: Reduced chances of being mugged at this shelter.

Disadvantages:

* No Heating: You don't get warmed after staying at this shelter in winter.
* Musty: Lose 1 happiness when staying at this shelter.
* Shady: Increased chance of bad events and being mugged at this shelter.
* No Animals: No animals allowed at this shelter. (Players with the dog are told "Sorry, no dogs allowed.")
* Poorly Funded: Charity events rarely occur at this shelter.
* Strict: This shelter has an earlier curfew.
* Random Checks: Chance of losing alcohol, bliss, or radios on entering this shelter.
* Dirty: Lose half your hygiene when staying at this shelter.

Periodically, shelters will have a charity event. The player can see upcoming charity events up to five days in advance. If the player stays in a shelter during a charity event night, they will gain the benefits.

Charity Events:

* Soup Kitchen: Restore all your hunger & some happiness if you stay here.
* Food Stamps: Gain food stamps if you rest here. (You get two food stamps. At shops, you can get any food item in exchange for 1 food stamp.)
* Food Drive: Gain some food items if you rest here.
* Clothing Drive: Gain a random item of clothing if you rest here.
* Support Group: Gain happiness if you rest here.
* Job Assistance: Gain a better chance on your next apply if you rest here.
* Adult Learning: Take a free study class if you rest here.

Once the player decides to rest at a shelter, the day will advance to night. The player's hunger and hygiene will not drop during this time and they will not suffer from any bad weather. During the night, the player will typically gain or lose happiness depending on how they slept, but sometimes an event will play out. Certain recorded events include:

* Getting mugged for your money. Lose money and happiness, and some items.
* Getting mugged, but they stop because they recognize and respect you. Gain happiness. (Seems to happen with higher reputation)
* Guy on a bunk offering a drink. Accepting improves reputation, refusing lowers reputation but increases happiness.
* Two people are going through a sleeping person's bag. Ignore them for lowered reputation and increased happiness, stop them for increased reputation and a free food item.
* Bill and Maggie arguing with one another. Siding with Bill results in Maggie losing some trust in you.
* The shelter receives an item donation. Increased happiness and a free item.
* Free hair cuts (gain happiness)
* Item trade. No downside to refusing.
* Thieves about to steal from someone, stopping them nets happiness and food,
* Someone is having a loud nightmare (implied to be Bill) and another person walks over to shake him awake. Stop him for increased reputation, free food, decreased happiness, and an injury. Ignore for decreased reputation and increased happiness.
* People at the shelter are selling drugs. Ignore it for increased reputation or report them for decreased reputation, increased progress towards residency (2 days) if not already a resident, and work/study skill points.
* Finding money under the pillow
* Finding a free scratch ticket
* Getting free scrap from an old woman
* Learning about new skills (gain experience) from an old man, or Bill once you've befriended him
* Guy crying on the bunk above. Helping loses happiness but also gets you a free beer. Not helping increases happiness but lowers reputation.
* A kid comes into the shelter late. Give up the spot for increased reputation and either a free sandwich or increased happiness.
* Guy falling on top of you while drunk (implied to be Joe). Pushing him off results in happiness loss, doing nothing nets some money after he apologizes.
* Others at the shelter plant a knife in your belongings and call the staff, who kick you out. If you were a resident, you lose your residency. Seems to happen if reputation is below 20. You can stay at the same shelter the next night and eventually regain your residency with no repercussions.
* Various events where an ambulance comes to the shelter. Decreased happiness.
* If you play the guitar and earned enough money for the day, you might get an event where you take pride in your new skills. Increased happiness and increased experience towards the next busking perk.

Some items provide additional benefits in shelters. Having a Toothbrush increases hygiene slightly when staying at a shelter. Having a Pillow increases happiness slightly when staying at a shelter.

The player can set a shelter as their residence shelter, allowing them to take the bus to get back to it. They can also use a Mobile Phone to locate their residence shelter. However, the shelter does not provide other residency benefits until the player stays in the shelter for five nights in a row. With residency, the player gets a resident card that provides directions to the shelter. They also get increased hunger recovery when staying at the shelter, and they can get a library card and a bank account. If the player stays away from their residence shelter for too many nights in a row (2-3 nights?), their residency will be revoked and they will have to go through the entire process again.

City welfare events reduce the effectiveness of shelters over time:

* Level 1: There are less charity events in shelters.
* Level 2: Some shelters have closed down. (Shelters are closed permanently. The player can no longer stay at a closed shelter.
* Level 3: Shelters no longer provide food. (Players no longer get a hunger bonus from staying at a shelter, no matter their perks or their residency status. However, charity events like the food drive and soup kitchen are still in effect.)