Living Unhoused

Are Vehicles the next affordable shelter? Safe Parking programs are starting to spruce up in cities, where there is a high “homeless population.”

Are Vehicles the next affordable shelter? Safe Parking programs are starting to spruce up in cities, where there is a high “homeless population.”

I believe more in being unsheltered, or displaced or unhoused are better labels. As I was talking to a friend this morning, (she knows I sleep in my van) there are different types of functioning people. Low mentally challenged, to high functioning.

My friend and I were doing an intervention with a gal, I’ll call her Kathleen, for this blog purpose. It was last year when the raining was really bad, she doesn’t even have a tent. Just sleeps in the open or under some short of shelter. Besides my friend, there was a social worker and a guy who helps people get housing.

After several hours, Kathleen refused the rain shelter – she just said, “We have to talk more about this.”  For her is was safer outside than inside.

She’s doesn’t want t talk about it.

I did see her the other day, at the library. Kathleen looked good.

This is just one example of a person, Sr. gal, who has been out on the streets for about 6 years. She is very proud and doesn’t accept help easily.

There are people who have been out on the streets for a long time, they are not at all interested in helping or improving themselves. Drinking, doing drugs, gossiping about other people and being bullies is their name of their game.

There are people who know how to play the system, even though they know better. They act bewildered, or will yell and bully other people. 

One of my friends think this is from taking drugs?

True?

I don’t know. It’s totally unacceptable.

Back to are vehicles the next affordable shelter? 

It appears that since most cities or counties need to do something to help people with housing they are creating safe parking sites. They are limited to single people. What about  families, or couples? I spoke to a family of six tonight, they were standing outside Target, asking people to buy food for them.

I stopped gave them a resource sheet where to find some services. They have a car, get food stamps, waiting to get  the full social services. They are from SF, they didn’t like the shelter they were in.

It appears they are functional.  The family of six live in their vehicle. check out the month to learn about “homelessness”  “unhoused”

Vehicles are a short term fix, one really needs a place with more space, a kitchen your own bathroom.. even if it’s a community of parkers who have access to a kitchen space, is wonderful.

Thank you for reading this, what are your thoughts?  Read more about living unhoused,

Renting rant, as I moving out of being unhoused, more and more people I can see why they/we don’t.

renting rant

Also all the hiccups people put in place so, you aren’t able to rent… my latest one is a 1 bdrm in a house, they want a $50 deposit, I guess its a hold or if you show up for the appointment you get it back. I called the number that Stacy Ann has been texting me on.. just to have a phone conversation and how she wants me to send her the money.

Guess what?

It’s a text only subscriber..why? You are saving money? You aren’t really renting a place out, it’s only to collect $50 bucks from people?  That was 8:00am this morning, it’s now 6:00pm, haven’t heard back from Stacy.

What about all those landlords and property managers who want anywhere from 2x – 3x the income proof. I’m not a 20 something person, coming up with this amount of money is a hardship for people.

So, if the rent is $1,500 for a studio you need to be making $3,000- $4,500 / month just to pay rent, + if you have other expenses you will need more.

I found a TEDx talk about a gal who started a Safe Parking program in San Diego.. I’ll post it here so you can learn about them.. there is one here in Fremont, CA other cities are opening them up too!

Life Moves also operates them in Mountainview and San Jose, CA..you can apply to them.

Tell me your story so I share it, we all have one. Living Unhoused the beginning of writing about it.

One of the parkers ran into a situation at a local park, she said the woman and her kids just stared at her. She then posted it on Next Door… if you are against people unhoused that’s where they all hang out at… there a very few people who that are sympathetic to people going through a difficult time. It’s like my post I made – it’s not going to happen to me.

I ran into a gal and her daughter today, the mom said “I’m not changing my language.” I just said, “it’s about changing with the times”.. otherwise you are just going to be left behind. (she was the one asking me how to you prepare to be in your car.) Lucky for them they don’t have to move.  No, she not going to change. Period. Ok. Don’t.  Then don’t ask for help!!

People Wake Up!

Thanks family!

Mari-Lyn