Most of us wake up in our warm beds, in our warm homes. We eat our breakfast, then get ready to go to work. For some people though, is not the case. This simple routine is only a dream. Every day someone finds themselves homeless with nowhere to go. The people in the following stories had no home, no money, and no idea how to get out. Fortunately for them, they found a way to get out of their situation. They share how they did it in their stories.
The Shelter Saved Us
“My family and I became homeless in 2004 when we lost our house to foreclosure. My husband and I both lost our jobs the previous year when our respective places of employment closed their doors. It was my husband, myself, and our three children, and I was pregnant with the fourth at the time. We were able to stay with a friend for a few months, four adults and 7 children in a four-bedroom apartment. We eventually had a falling out, and we were asked to leave.
My husband had just started a job at the time, and his boss was kind enough to pay him daily for a while, so we were able to get a hotel room. We paid by the day, and I would spend my day at the library or at a park with the kids, trying to stay out of the heat (July in Florida). The first day I did this I tried to panhandle for some extra money for food, but the police stopped and asked what I was doing and if we had somewhere to go. I told them I was getting a hotel and never tried that again.
After yet another problem with the car, I begged the hotel people to let us stay in a room that was smaller than they allowed for five people, explaining our situation. Someone, somehow, heard of this and paid for two nights in the hotel and gave us $100 cash in an envelope.
Our car was on its last legs. I was able to patch things up with my friend, and we moved back to her apartment after briefly moving out and then moving back into my friend’s home, a few more hurricanes came our way that season and my son was born during one of them.
The hospital sent CPS to my friend’s apartment to do an investigation, due to my lack of prenatal care, and my admission to doing some legal substances once a week or two before my labor to relieve my stress. I nearly wasn’t allowed to bring the baby home with me, but they relented and let me go. Since it was during an active hurricane, vehicles were not allowed on the road, so my husband and friend were not allowed to drive to get me. The hospital needed my room, I had no insurance, so I was offered the choice of sitting in the lobby with my 2-day-old child, or being driven home in a cab. (which technically should not have been on the road either). I took the cab.
A few months later, the stress of a newborn in an already overcrowded apartment took its toll, and we were again asked to leave my friend’s place. We contacted my sister-in-law, and she drove me to the homeless shelter, where I explained my situation and begged for help. They had just had a family move out that day, and I was able to secure the room. We had called several shelters, but this was one of the few that would allow our family to stay together; most would allow me and the children, but not my husband. A lot of women in shelters are abused. Men are not allowed at the same shelter a lot of the time. My oldest son, 11 at the time, was too old for some shelters to accept with me and the younger children. We were six people in a room the size of a dorm room. It had two sets of bunk beds, a portable playpen, a small desk with a tv, and a shelf for our things. The bathroom was down the hall. We stayed for 11 months in this room.
After this, we were able to get into a small, two bedroom apartment on the shelter property. I got a job waiting tables, and my husband began a program to get his GED and then his certificate in 3D Multimedia Production, a skill he had been teaching himself for years. We paid a small rent to the shelter and a portion of our electric bill. We also gave the shelter most of my income to put into savings, which would be returned to us when we left. After my husband completed the program, he was able to get an internship and a job at a local TV station. We took advantage of another program the shelter offered and got an apartment where the shelter agreed to pay a portion of our rent for the first few months. We still live in this same apartment.
Unfortunately, my husband got laid off shortly after we moved. He is an artist and a graphic designer but has been unable to find work for many years. I have moved from a server to a cook in the same restaurant, and have struggled to keep the roof over our heads for the last 7 years.
Family Aren’t Always People You Can Trust
In 2010 I went to university, but only lasted two semesters. My mother was constantly causing trouble at home, and I found it harder and harder to concentrate on work. I would have to bring my sister and let her sleep in the empty dorm room many weekends, because my mother had become abusive. To make matters worse, my sister would betray me and make up stories about how horrible her stay was, just to get me in trouble. No matter how bad her stories were, she always wanted to come back. Mom would accuse her of sleeping with our dad, stealing, and other things to undermine her. My sister called the cops on her one day, but mom managed to dissuade them from actually talking to my sister.
Then one day, a few weeks before summer, mom got into a physical fight with my sister. She pretty much tackled her, and began punching her. My sister fought her off alone and made half of my mom’s face black and purple. My sister had all sorts of people offering her housing, a military recruiter got involved (after telling her he couldn’t sign her, he was still worried enough about her to find her housing), cops made reports about her, but nothing happened. When I returned, I told my sister to leave, but she wouldn’t do it. I had info for my dad to get him started on a divorce, but he didn’t want it. I told them that as soon as she started attacking me, I would leave. I would not stay and wait for them to make up their minds. Two weeks into summer vacation, I had my money taken, my phone stayed on my person 24/7, and my purse was searched nightly. I wasn’t allowed to use the bathroom at night, and if I did use the bathroom, the door had to be open.
One day, mom began her craziness on me, but it was worse than usual. I reminded her of my promise that unlike my dad and sister, I would leave. She completely lost it. We fought for hours, with her cursing and calling me names. I began crying, because the things she said were so hurtful. While I cried, she got angrier and insisted that I was upset because I was on something. I had obviously stolen dad’s cancer medicine after I seduced him. She brought dad and my sister into the room and asked them if this is what I had done. They agreed. I dialed my husband (we were just dating then) and told him I was done, to come get me. He immediately called his father, who worked in law enforcement, and got advice on what to do. I had tried to run away once before and managed to get to the top of the dirt road, but they followed me in a jeep and dragged me back. This time, I had all ready made calls and people knew I was in danger. Mom didn’t dare lay a hand on me, but she nearly tore apart the mobile home we lived in to express her rage. I gathered what I could carry, and walked to the road where my husband had been told to park. I was shaking the whole time. My husband’s aunt let me stay with her over the summer, but she got tired of company and began complaining to everyone about it. I was paying her rent at the time, even though she was living in her brother’s house. I had a part-time job as a cook at a bbq place down the road. My husband got kicked out, because he refused to take me to a homeless shelter, and his parents said it wasn’t Christian for them to take me in. (It would be disrespectful to them and God for an unmarried couple to share the same roof). My husband managed to get us an income-based apartment (he was related to the manager), and there we managed to pick up the pieces. We have moved a bunch since then, but we now have a good life and I’m thankful everyday for it. I talk to my sister almost every day by texting and Facebook. She still lives with them, in a tiny mobile home. They seem to be a lot happier, but I don’t know.”
Having Someone Helps
“On August 3rd, 2013 my father passed away from cancer on his pelvic bone. He was the head of our household, my mother couldn’t afford our rent anymore. I was 18 and was only focused on starting college and having my part-time mall job for my little expenses.
The loss brought a lot of issues between us. They progressed and got worse. My mom kicked me out. I had nowhere to go. It was December 30th, 2013 and I only owned a Jansport backpack with a few shirts, underwear, and shoes. I only had the pants and socks I had on me. I cried a lot. At the time my girlfriend and her family went away for a week and she let me stay at her house. During this time I spent my New Years in her house alone. Soon they returned and I had nowhere to go. My girlfriend couldn’t drop me off in the street, her heart wouldn’t let her do it. She snuck me into her house; her mom heard me snoring and opened the door. The next day we spoke and she said I could stay 2 days then I’d have to figure out where to go.
I stayed 3 months. The house was in repossession and they moved out during March 2014. I slept in this empty home with only a couch – no water nor electricity – for a month until the sheriff put a lock on the door. I was torn.
My long distance brother sent me money. I bought a cheap car. I didn’t think it through and I bought a Honda De Sol. It’s a 2 seater car. It was tiny. I’m a 220lb 18-year-old. It was tough but she kept me dry many a night. The car broke down and I cried more. I parked it in some neighborhood that had guest spots and slept in it every day. I’m sure people noticed. After lots of crying and self-mutilation, I started counting my blessings. I had a beautiful devoted girlfriend who would help feed me when I would go a few days without eating. She didn’t let me go even though I thought I was a loser. She was a blessing, not many people our age would stick with someone through all that. After a few odd jobs that were difficult to keep because I had nowhere to bathe or sleep or get ready, I found a stable job in April. I would bring shampoo to public community pools and bath and change in their bathrooms. I constantly cleaned my clothes at a coin laundry. Learned to cut my own hair. Kept my hygiene as tidy as possible.
Finally, after working through the hot summer, I had saved enough from this warehouse job for first, last, and deposit. My girlfriend and I moved in September of 2014. It felt great sleeping on a mattress. I only slept on a mattress in 2014 about 20 times after my girlfriend’s family moved from their home. You have no idea how much I value things now. Nothing sucks more than not being able to have the privilege of going to your own kitchen and making yourself a sandwich or pouring a glass of water. I use to cry because I would sit in this small, hot 2 seater car during a south Florida summer watching people drive home with groceries or pizza and seeing lights turn off and on. It made me cry so much, but man, I am glad I lived through it. Made me grow so much.”
Sometimes You Gotta Hit Rock Bottom
“I found myself homeless in January 2011 as a direct result of my substance addiction. That seems to be common for a lot of addicts. I slept on benches, in parks, in 24-hour stores’ bathrooms – anywhere I could. I live in the Northeastern United States so the winters are very cold. I then found success breaking into peoples garages. I had a tarp and a space heater I’d bring with me. Ultimately, I was not able to dig myself out of that hole without help. In May 2011 I went to a detox, and since I had nowhere to go ‘home’ to, I was forced to go to further treatment. I remember the first day I got there and just being so grateful to have a bed, a pillow, and an actual blanket. Its bringing tears to my eyes thinking about it. I waited in that detox facility for 3 months before I got a bed at a halfway house. I went, completed that program, and went on to their grad house. The program taught me discipline. I had gotten a minimum wage job, but I was taught how to budget and make it work. I am proud to say that as of January 2013, I am training to be a manager at that minimum wage job. I am still addiction free. I have a beautiful studio apartment, all to myself. My rent is early every month! It is possible to turn your life around.”
It Takes Some Introspection To Realize What You Need To Do
“I was homeless on two separate occasions, once for about 5 months after I graduated high school and then when I was 22. The first time wasn’t really bad because I stayed with friends and lived in my car and I was partying every day. I guess you could say it was almost by choice. The second time was a whole different story. I was doing illegal substances and living on the streets for the majority of the time. What saved me was going to jail. I had committed criminal trespass to try to steal money to support my habit and the homeowner caught me in the house. I was already on probation so I ended up doing a total of 16 months in the county lockup. While I was in jail, I became very introspective and decided to make serious life changes. I reconnected with my family and apologized for the terrible things I had done to them. My sister got me set up with a telemarketing job (this company is awesome, it was actually founded by a guy with previous substance abuse problems). With my family’s help, I was able to remain clean and I advanced to become the trainer and a floor supervisor at the telemarketing firm. I’ve been there for 8 years and I love my job. I’m still clean, I have a home and two awesome children. Life is good.”
The Waiting Game Is Torture
“After my mom left my dad and moved to another province, my dad and I were forced to find another place to live (for reasons I won’t get into), but we stayed in two different apartments and got kicked out of both of them because I was too young to work, and he wasn’t making enough to pay for rent and food.
So after getting evicted from the second place, we were homeless, some friends of ours put our things in their storage unit until we could find a place. We applied for housing assistance, but even that took 2 1/2 weeks for us to get a place. My dad stayed at the shelter, and I slept in my friend’s backyard on the first night (his mom didn’t want me sleeping in the house). I then stayed with some family friends until the government assistance kicked in and we got an apartment.”
It’s All About Strategy
“I will never forget my one friend’s story of how he was once homeless. This was his plan and advice if I ever needed to survive the homeless lifestyle. He bought a $50 dollar a month gym membership. (Gym has to be open 24 hours a day) He parked his van in the lot and slept in the car most of the time. He would shower, use the bathroom shave and workout a lot. He swam, soaked in the hot tubs and made friends and got interviews with people he met there. He made friends with the staff and even had his clothes washed for free. Think about how many amenities you would have at your disposal if you ‘lived’ at a nice health club?
He finally got back on his feet after six months and now he is a fairly successful man.”
Grandma To The Rescue
“I lived in a tent for 3 months, needless to say, it was awful. I won’t go into details of how I ended up homeless but let’s just say I was a horrible teenager and I deserved it. I should preface this by saying I live in England as well. They’re a few government organizations which help the homeless here, I say help, it took me getting evicted from public land for the council to believe I actually was homeless. Even then it took my grandmother begging these people for them to put me up in a flat and to get me some benefits so I wouldn’t starve or freeze to death. Basically, I’d probably still be homeless if it wasn’t for my grandmother, I owe her my life and I thank her every day for it.”
Seeing The Light
“It was Martin Luther King day. I was staying at the Fairfield Assembly of God. Taken aback by the horrific situation my life had bathed itself in, I took to the streets. It started with volunteering for churches and ‘giving back’ to the community. It was at that moment that I realized a hard and powerful truth. I’d been homeless for a month at that point but there was a certain point where everything made sense. I quit doing illegal substances cold turkey in the mental hospital and was enlightened on a particular form of knowledge that I retain to this day. I wouldn’t be flesh and bone walking around if it weren’t for what happened to me then.”
A Little Maturity And The Navy
“I used up all of the goodwill of most of my friends by bouncing around from apartment to apartment while sleeping on their couches and sneaking their snack food as my meals.
As I was wearing out the welcome of the last friend that would take me in, I finally decided that enough was enough. I walked into the Navy recruiting office like I was joining the French Foreign Legion. Signed up, and within a few months was finally at boot camp.
I’ve worked my butt off to be where I am today – married, with an awesome kid, homeowner, and with a stable income. I credit the values that the Navy taught me but also don’t discount my own maturation.”
Things Are Looking Up!
“For a few months this past summer I was homeless. I had a job the whole time and was living out of my car, which I could afford. I had lots (well, a good amount) of money but had been kicked out of the house I was living in.
Nowhere would give me a place to live because I’m young (was 20) and after 3 months somewhere within my price range finally offered me a place to live.
So now I have a 2 bedroom apartment to myself. And I kind of miss living out of my car etc. It really showed me who my friends are and who really cares.”
It’s Bad When The Bugs Look Good
“My husband and I were fortunate enough to have an old motorhome when we lost our apartment. It was drafty, but we managed to make it through that winter because we were together (cheesy, yes, but true).
We found an apartment, but this building is full of roaches and spiders. The insects are the more pleasant of our neighbors. We just found a decent place to rent, and are moving soon.”
Double Crossed And Left In The Cold
I was homeless about 5 years ago for about 3 months (maybe 4, I can’t remember), however, I owned my car and worked for one of the largest companies in the world.
I lived with a married couple for several months as the place I was renting was getting too dangerous to stay.
As the place was far too small for all 3 of us, as we had to share a room (shudders) we started to look for a larger place to move into. We move to Malton and soon learned that we would probably get killed there, so we moved again.
This time it was a nice basement apartment in a nice little area. The homeowner was on vacation so we couldn’t get the lease right away. I asked my roomies if it had come in for 2 months straight. They kept telling me no. Then I learned that they racked up $1,300 on MY phone so I canceled it and made plans for them to pay it off slowly.
Well, that angered my roomies. So I took all my valuables and locked them in the trunk of my car, in case they tried something really stupid. I was so not prepared for what they had planned.
I was out with Dungeon and Dragons friends gaming all night and we crashed at one of the guy’s places. I was in the guest room as I’m the only female when my phone rang about 3 am. The guy claimed to be the Toronto Police and said they needed to talk to me as I’m being accused of a breaking and entering. I was pretty sure it was just the roomies pranking me as they did that a lot. However it did sound real so I told the guy the address I was at, just in case, and told him I lived at the address he was claiming I did this break-in at.
I went back to sleep and 30 minutes later it was the ‘Toronto Police’ again telling me to come out RIGHT NOW. Annoyed I agreed and asked the 2 largest guys to come with me. I get outside and there is a cop car. I tell my friends to stay away and let me deal with this alone, as they would be too threatening.
I spoke to the police for a while and the driver and I hit it off great! They tell us they had gone to the place after our first talk and learned that I did live there.
The next day I was able to get the landlords phone number and gave him a ring. He said I have to move out ASAP as I’m not on the lease and I haven’t been paying my share of the rent (the guys told him all the money was coming from them, not me). I explained to him that I pay the majority of the rent and could afford the place on my own, it was just easier with them. He said too bad, you’re the bad one here. Okay, fine, just give me a few weeks to get out.
Anyways the police were there every time I arrived to pick up some of my things. I have NO idea what on earth those roomies told them, but the police would scream at me every single time I showed up. They were horribly mean and every time I came out of the house with stuff to go into the car they would scream at me to move faster.
2 weeks go by and everything is finally out of that place and into a storage locker I rented. My pets were sent all over Ontario to be cared for until I could reclaim them (thank goodness for good people).
I kept clothing, shampoos, games, and simple foods in the car at all times. I was lucky that I was able to crash on some couches so I could at least feel safe.
My employer had no idea that I was homeless, he only knew that my clothes were always wrinkled and yelled at me for it. After several months of him nagging me I lost it and told him to please lay off, I’m homeless and doing the best that I can to look nice for work. I told him that I showered daily, always came in with clean clothing, still had my happy go lucky attitude and still worked hard in the office, I just had nowhere to hang my clothing to keep them straight. No issues after that.
I saved up nearly every penny I had and found a bachelor apartment. I now rent a condo, still own my car, have 2 dogs, a cat, critters, a good job, and a wonderful man.
Oh and the kicker? That jerk landlord called me up several months later saying the guys haven’t paid rent since I moved out and demanded that I pay it. I reminded him that I wasn’t on the lease, told him that would happen, then told him where to go while laughing my head off.”
Slowly Getting Better
“I was living with my father but he passed away 3 years ago I spent two years in prison when I got out six months ago I stayed with my ex-girlfriend who stayed with me during my incarceration until about 2 months before I was released when she started dating another guy. They broke up a few weeks before I came home and we tried to make things work but they didn’t. Long story short she cheated on me with the same guy and had him move in and sleep on my bed. I was kicked out of our place and slept in the back room. She let me stay but I couldn’t handle it, I and the guy were definitely going to end up fighting – I had to leave. I choose to be homeless instead of living in that situation. I slept in a tent in the woods for 3 months until I ran into an old friend. She Let me rent her garage for $200 a month. It is insulated and has electricity and I currently live there now. I am looking for a place now but I am struggling to find somewhere that will let me move in since I am on Social Security disability. I also have a court date coming up in 2 weeks which is a whole other story for another post but I am completely innocent. I haven’t got a lawyer yet and don’t have a copy of the indictment so I don’t even know how or why they are charging me. Even though things suck right now they are a lot better than they were a few months ago.”