Knowing that it’s only a matter of time before you’re going to be homeless is a hard thing to accept.   Don’t freak out about it.  Homelessness happens to people from all walks of life.   Sometimes a lot of bad things can happen all at once in life while we are not paying attention, and then something big happens and that’s the thing that puts us on the path of homelessness.  Most newly homeless people that I come across today are not drug addicts or alcoholics.  A lot of them fell into this hole due to economic reasons.  So don’t drag yourself about your situation.   The most important thing you can do at this moment is to spend what little time you have preparing for the inevitable.  There are certain basic things you need to do while you still have an address that will make your life a lot easier on the street and get you going in the right direction.

P.O.Box

The first thing you will need is a P.O. Box.  This will take the place of your former mailing address.  You’ll quickly learn that having an address is something that most people in society take for granted.  Without a mailing address, you can’t get a job, ID, Bank cards/documents, etc.  You essentially can’t function in society without one.    UPS P.O. Boxes and Virtual are preferred over USPS and others because they give you a lot more options like a real address and delivery from multiple carriers.  This counts when accepting Amazon packages or anything you may purchase online.  Prices start pretty cheap at around $10 but can rise quickly depending on your needs.

Id and other important documents

Make sure you have your ID, social security card, birth certificate, and other important documents and they are up to date.  This includes your driver’s license, bank cards, or anything that requires correspondence through the mail to update.   Get this done as soon as possible.  You really don’t know how long you’re going to be homeless, and the last hiccup you’ll need out in the streets is to not be able to use your bank card or ID.

Keep your last pieces of mail in case you need to show proof of address to anyone.  Keep everything stored in an envelope wrapped in plastic in a safe place like a storage unit.

Rent A Storage Unit

A safe place to store your documents would be a storage unit.  I’m pretty sure you have things from your home that you can’t carry around all day or put in your car, so a storage unit would be a great place for those things.  Prices are very reasonable with rates starting around $40 to $50 a month.

 

Get A Gym Membership

If you don’t want to be limited to showering at shelters with very little privacy, get a gym membership to take care of your personal hygiene.  Staying fresh and clean comes at a premium being homeless and it’s worth the price.  You can always use the gym to escape homelessness for a few hours and work out the stress that builds from it.  If the gym has lockers you can use them to store things a few hours a day while you are out job hunting or at an interview.  Gyms like Planet Fitness have plans that start at only $10.   Do your research and pick the right environment that suits you.

Where Are You Going To Sleep?

This is obvious, but there are a few options.   Are you going to sleep in your vehicle, a shelter, or the street?  Before you have to get to this point, buy yourself some time by asking friends, family, neighbors, etc if you can crash with them temporarily.  If allowed, don’t overstay your welcome, you may need to crash there later.  You can rent a weekly hotel room, but it gets expensive really quickly.  You’ll eventually start doing the math and get tired of giving them all your money.

Car camping is probably the easiest way to be homeless.  You’re considered to be in the upper class of homelessness if there is such a thing.  Obviously, it’s safer than sleeping in a tent or shelter.  A lot warmer.  Easier to set up you’re sleeping gear.  You basically wouldn’t need anything more than a sleeping pad and a sleeping bag.  It’s more quiet.  Insects or animals don’t bother you, and you’re protected from bad weather.

Sleeping in a homeless shelter is a life-changing experience, and for first-timers, it definitely will raise a few eyebrows.  Some of them are very dangerous, but not all.  They have their flaws but they do offer stability, which is what you need to keep a job.  They have rules.  Rules that may seem odd to you, but you must follow them in order to stay.  They flow between congregate and non-congregate.  Indoors and outdoors.  There are also safe parking lots for cars and RV’s.  Drug use is rampant and often goes unchecked.  So if being around addicts is a problem, it’s probably not the place for you.

Camping outside is probably the hardest to do.  It takes some getting used to.  You’ll have to take full responsibility for yourself.   It’s not like what you see on television where people are living on sidewalks with tents and trash everywhere.  Most homeless people camping outdoors are stealth, and don’t live that way.   I’ll be posting a five-part series soon that goes into further detail about properly camping outdoors.

Where you sleep is up to you.  Do what makes you feel comfortable.  There are pros and cons to each choice.

Pro Tips

Now that you have the basics down here are a few other things you should consider doing while you still have an address.  Get a Nextdoor account.  You can only have an account if you have a residential address.  Nextdoor allows you to look at an area you want to camp in and see what the residents of that neighborhood are saying about it.  The conversations will often reveal everything you need to know to decide if you want to camp in the area.

Make sure you have an Amazon account.  Camping outdoors every day is hard on your gear, and you are going to be replacing your gear a lot.  Amazon has just about everything you’ll need and even without an address they can deliver most things to you.  Amazon has delivery lockers and counters that allow you to pick up most items you purchase, usually within walking distance or a short bus ride.  If you don’t have a PO Box you will need to use their lockers for gear, supplies, food, etc.

 

Start applying for whatever benefits you qualify for.  SNAP, SSI, Military, etc.  Get these things going before you hit the streets.  You’ll be registering as homeless so make sure your mailing is correct.  This is when having a PO Box with a real street address comes in handy.

Donating plasma is a consistent way to make easy money when you are homeless.  In order to donate, you must have a living address.  They will not accept anyone who’s homeless so don’t ask or mention it.   Make arrangements to register at your local Plasma Center while you are still living at your current address.  You only have to register once a year at most places.