Here are the Top 24 Tips on How to Survive Being Homeless.
I’ve actually spoken to homeless people on several occasions. Sometimes we would get to chatting as to how they ended up on the streets. They would tell me some of their background stories and their best tips for how to survive homelessness.
So I’ve compiled this guide for you if you are homeless now, or if you’re learning firsthand as to why you want to prevent poverty and homelessness in your life.
There is also the case of situational poverty. This can happen to anyone at any time. Such is the case if Shit Hits The Fan (SHTF). This could result from political unrest, worldwide famine, or complete anarchy in your city. This guide will also help you to survive the streets if urban poverty hits everyone in your city at the same time.
This guide is also suitable for how to survive as a homeless woman, as a youth, or senior.
Let’s get into How to Survive Being Homeless:
1) Find a Safehouse with Amenities
4) Invest In a Cheap Mobile Phone
5) Try to Contact Family/Friends
10) Carry a Refillable Water Bottle
13) Be Aware of Your Surroundings
14) Carry Self Protection Tools
1. Find a Safehouse with Amenities
This should be your first move if you are homeless. Find a local gym where you have access to essential amenities.
The reason this should be your #1 move is because you will not appear homeless and smell of odors if you sign up in the gym right away. Use what little money you have left to make this place a priority!
Places like the YMCA are a good place to start. However, most local gyms will offer similar services if you cannot find a YMCA near you.
Gym lockers:
- Gym lockers are the go-to hub as your temporary safehouse. You can rent out a gym locker where you can store all your important documents.
- Social Security Number (or Social Insurance Number if in Canada), bank account information, and a cell phone will be important to use to get back on your feet.
Showers:
- Hygiene will be your #1 friend. And many gyms will allow you to use their shower. Some gyms may even offer free towels.
- Staying hygienic will ensure you can meet potential employers and get through a normal interview. You’ll feel refreshed and renewed, ready to tackle the day ahead of you.
Place to Exercise:
- You can work out any time to pass the day and relieve stress.
- Building muscle and strength is also a way to become less of a target on the streets. Many people don’t want to get into fights with people who appear strong and confident.
- You also get to stay warm for a long period of time while you work out.
Make New Friends:
- If you see frequent patrons, you could decide to strike up a conversation. You might offer to become a spotting partner for someone while you work out together.
- You don’t have to disclose your living conditions, but you could potentially network and meet new friends.
2. Use the Laundromat
Keeping your clothes clean is essential to living a normal life. It’s hard for employers to take you seriously if they can smell bad odors coming off you during an interview.
Usually laundromat machines cost $5 to wash and dry your clothes. Sometimes they will carry detergent inside vending machines.
Plus, you get to stay warm while your clothes are being thoroughly cleaned.
3. Open a Bank Account
It’s much easier to sign up for gym memberships and other essential services when you’ve got access to a debit/prepaid credit card. No one will refuse service to you if you’re using your bank account to make purchases.
Be sure your government documents are safe so it’s easy to open a new bank account (remember the gym lockers?). There are many affordable checking accounts available that offer low fees starting from under $10 a month.
You can also buy prepaid credit cards at any department store. Simply pay the cashier using cash, and now you have a credit card you can use any time.
4. Invest In a Cheap Mobile Phone
You can opt to buy a cheap cell phone and get a pay-as-you-go plan. Using a debit/prepaid credit card will help you buy a new plan quickly.
If you only have cash, buy a used cell phone from a private seller on Craigslist or Kijiji. You may be able to buy a sim card and prepaid minutes with cash as well. You can usually refill your cell phone minutes at gas stations or cellphone kiosks whenever you need them.
5. Try to Contact Family/Friends
If you’ve got family or friends where you live locally, try reaching out to them for assistance. Tell them you need a place to stay while you find a way to get back to a stable life.
You may have to swallow your pride if you left on bad terms when it comes to family. But they’re more likely to take you back in than friends would do for you.
6. Invest In a Bicycle
Try to acquire a bike so you can travel with ease whenever you need to be somewhere.
You may find a bicycle lying around which has been abandoned. Sometimes you can find a bargain deal at a garage sale or online (Craigslist/Kijiji).
Be on the constant lookout to get yourself a bike ASAP.
Also make to invest in a padlock for your bike. And keep your bicycle locked up in well lit areas to avoid theft.
7. Invest In Bus Tickets
If you can’t get your hands on a bicycle, using public transit will likely be your next best option. This will also help you to stay warm during colder seasons.
Bus passes are fairly affordable, and there should be government programs available if you can prove you are homeless.
Be sure to use the subway as well. You can travel much faster and get the most done out of your time.
8. Adopt a Stray Dog
Finding a stray dog can become a blessing. A stray dog can become your companion and alert dog. You will have one more mouth to feed, but at least you will have some joy in your life bonding with a loyal animal.
Be sure to check up on your local laws regarding adopting stray dogs. If you need assistance with this matter, you can speak to a lawyer online at anytime.
9. Invest In a Rucksack
If you can’t find a gym locker to store your valuable items, this is the next best step to take. Having a rucksack will allow you to carry important items with you at all times.
Make sure to pack only essential items to keep your bag light and easy to travel with.
10. Carry a Refillable Water Bottle
Buy a solid refillable water bottle, preferably one with the hook attachment on the lid. That way you can attach your water bottle onto your rucksack or jeans. This leaves more space inside your rucksack or pants for other items.
You can refill your water bottle at fast food restaurants or gas stations whenever possible.
Even better if you have a water purification tablet or a portable water filter. You can find the nearest river or lake near you to top up with safe drinking water.
11. Invest In First Aid
Keep spare bandages and sanitary wipes with you at all times. Getting injuries and cuts will be hard to avoid when you’re constantly in the elements.
It may be difficult to seek professional medical help if you are homeless. So you’ll want to prepare for any emergency situation, and having a first aid kit may save your life.
12. Stay Warm
Finding the right type of clothing and layering will become essential for staying warm. Especially if you become homeless in the winter season.
Use newspapers for kindlin, bedding, and insulation.
Stocking up on a small portable propane tank isn’t a bad idea as well. Make sure to carry a waterproof fire-starter so you can light fires and stay warm at all times.
These are some ways on how to survive homelessness in the winter as well.
13. Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Constantly scan the areas you’re situated in. Don’t get too comfortable wherever you are. Keep your guard up and be alert at all times.
Learn to test people to gain your trust. Look for strange patterns in people that you may come in contact with.
Learn to spot areas where trouble is likely to occur. Muggings and assaults are not uncommon among homeless offenders.
Know when it’s safe to set up camp, and when it’s time to leave. You will have to practice daily vigilance to survive being homeless.
14. Carry Self Protection Tools
Whether it’s a pocket knife, baton, or stun gun; carry something for self-defense. Urban poverty can bring out the worst in people at times. So don’t become an easy victim.
However, self-defense should always be used as a last resort. With every fight there is a chance to sustain injuries and infection. Try your best to avoid conflicts.
The pocket knife is also great as a utility tool. You may end up using a knife to cut fruit for eating, or cut rope for a tarp shelter.
15. Find a Homeless Shelter
If you’ve got no friends or family, you may need to rest your head at a homeless shelter.
The benefits of this is you get a mattress to sleep on and some food and drink for the stay.
The drawback is you have a higher chance to get into fights and experience theft with many homeless people around you when lights go out.
16. Live Alone Quietly
If you think homeless shelters are not your type of scenery, it’s possible to live on your own in somewhat relative peace.
One homeless guy I talked to mentioned IWA, which meant ‘I Walk Alone’. He’s been living homeless for over 25 years. I’ve seen him at the same spot for months now and he seems to be doing just fine.
Find a mattress/cardboard and sleep in open well lit areas. You have a lesser chance to be ambushed when you can see threats approaching a distance away in the field.
17. Visit the Food Bank
Don’t let food poverty stop you from filling your belly. Having the energy to tackle the day will be important on a daily basis.
Make sure to visit your nearest local food bank and ask if you can receive a bag of donated groceries.
18. Find a Secret Stash Spot
Find a secret spot where you can stash items like canned foods and soup. Storing food items in a YMCA gym locker may draw unnecessary attention to yourself. No one will give you problems if you’re hiding food outside out of sight.
Ravines are a great place to hide your food. You may have to draw a map to remember where you placed your canned goods.
19. Rent Out a Storage Unit
If you don’t have any good places to stash your food and belongings, you may want to invest in a storage unit.
You may even decide to skip using gym lockers entirely and use a storage facility instead.
Find a storage unit near you https://www.usastoragecenters.com/ (USA)
Sentinel Storage (Canada) is always handing out deals when it comes to storage!
You can usually find competitive rates to stash your important belongings for a low fee
(if you’re really hurting for a place to stay, your storage unit can give you shelter as well. You have easy access to a bathroom as well. You just have to be quiet and not disturb others, and staff should leave you alone).
20. Find Allies
If you don’t want to be alone, sometimes it may be better to click up and form a group. Learn to barter and make deals and agreement with others to strengthen group bond/unity.
Offer to deliver a skillset so you become an asset to others. Find ways to become valuable to others so you don’t have to worry about being double crossed.
There is strength in numbers and a higher chance to survive being homeless when you form a group.
21. Use the Library
Sign up for a free library card.
This is another safe place to stay warm for some time.
Keep educating yourself by reading books to enhance your knowledge.
Good topics to read up on:
- How to Escape Poverty
- Think & Grow Rich
- Wealth and Poverty
You can also use free internet to find employment online.
22. Find Employment
Temp Agencies are a great place to start when you need quick cash. The process is simple. You register your name and skillset you have with the temp hiring agency. Once your registration is complete, the agency starts looking for employers to match you with.
- You get paid daily after you finish your job.
- Finding full-time employment becomes much more easier.
Or you can look for jobs online. With a computer and internet access from the library, be sure to check for job postings on these websites:
If no one is hiring in your area, offer to volunteer your time at a shop. Offer labor in exchange for food. People will give you a chance if you go down this route. They want you to succeed on your own two feet.
This is better than asking for handouts and spare change on the streets just doing nothing.
Done consistently over time, you may just get an invitation to work full time if you do a good job.
You’ll have to learn how to live homeless with a job for some time, but it is possible to find a home again when you start generating modest income.
23. Apply for Government Benefits
Another option is to apply for homeless assistance online. There are many programs out there which may be suitable for you and the situation you’re in.
Emergency Housing Vouchers can help you find a cheap place to rent. Organizations like the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development may cover some of the associated costs. https://www.hud.gov/ehv
They will prioritize:
- Womens and childrens shelter
- Emergency housing for families
- Emergency housing for seniors
- Assistance to avoid transitional homelessness
If you’re in Canada, consider reaching out to the Salvation Army Family Shelter. Usually they will offer you a temporary place to stay between 30-90 days. The Salvation Army Shelter offer computers and internet access which you can use to find employment. https://salvationarmy.ca/
- They offer access to a men’s shelter even if you have no family
- Assistance help for homeless families and youth shelters
24. Use Campgrounds As Temporary Home
If you don’t have enough money to rent an apartment or townhouse, why not use the campgrounds instead?
The beauty of campgrounds:
- campgrounds are cheaper than motels
- usually your night stay comes with free electricity and water (check with the your campgrounds before accepting to stay for the night)
- watch the video and see how many campgrounds surround Olympia, Washington
- type “campgrounds” into your Google Maps, and you will see they are EVERYWHERE! You can move around quickly from job to job to earn a living this way.
Check out the map below of Olympia, Washington. Look at the results when you type ‘airport’ vs ‘campgrounds’.
Use these campgrounds to find work nearby. Finding cash work is easy to do if you’re good with people and working with your hands.
There are so many ways to recover from homelessness when you take the actions necessary to survive.
What Now?
Now you know some ways to survive being homeless to get back on your feet. Be sure to Learn 9 Easy Self Defense Techniques in case you ever have to protect yourself.