Moving to Minneapolis - pls check my reasoning

So I have decided to apply for SSDI disability and until December I will have California state disability insurance. After that runs out, I will need to live on credit cards and public assistance while awaiting the SSA hearing. This is going to be tough. I have identified one-bedroom apartments in the suburbs of Twin Cities for $650. This is an improvement from $1350 I am paying now in Silicon Valley. I am sure Minneapolis has a good county mental health system. http://www.hcmc.org/depts/psych/socialservices.htm seems comprehensive and offers assistance with housing which I will need when my California state disability insurance runs out.

It is a city with severe winter climate, and I love cross-country skiing when it is cold. I have a hard time pushing myself to exercise, so it seems that having 3-5 months a year of exercise that I naturally like will be good for my spirits and my waistline. On the negative side there is a hot and HUMID summer. I have lived in TX and known those. Hate them.

I suspect that there is Section 8 housing available. Yes, there are places in the US where you can rent for $300-400 but I am not so sure that there will be comparable social services and subsidized mental health, plus cross-country skiing. I feel more secure moving to a city with developed infrastructure. I do not know though - I have not done enough homework, I just feel that Minneapolis would provide a safety net.

Is it a reasonable train of thought?

It seems to me that you are thinking this through. You are doing research, comparing weather pros and cons, checking the mental health system, etc. I'm curious as to how you ended up with this location, tho, out of all 50 states.

When I first arrived in the US, I landed in Texas and was shocked by the weather. My first reaction was to move way north, and that is how minneapolis first appeared. Instead, I moved to California. Later, I remember the Twin Cities ranking high in quality of life surveys.

Okay, so you have chosen this state from a reasonable perspective. More good points for you , there. Do you know anyone there, or will you have to start building your support system all over again? That's not necessarily a bad thing, I just had to start over last year when I moved here. New docs, etc. But at least I had my family here to move with. That would be my biggest worry, i think. Knowing no one where you are going. You might want to hit the virtual yellow pages and suss out some support groups ahead of time.

I don't know enough to know if Section 8 housing encompasses utilities in any way, but.... Heating bills can be, um... daunting.
(While I've not lived in Minnesota in particular, my life till fairly recently has all been near Canadian border or way up in the Rockies, so I know from cold, lol.) I think utilities of all sorts would be a good thing to look into too. I am shocked at what electricity costs here, for instance. BF's dad (in the same state) pays about the same amount for electric for an entire house as we pay for a tiny apt.(!) And it's warmer here(!)) Anyhow, I could go on and on...

Found an interesting website that you might find useful: http://www.city-data.com/
Researching awhile back, I remember finding it difficult to get a grasp on utility costs. Probably because there are so many variables, but I never did figure it out. Worth looking into though. Maybe I was barking up the wrong tree or mesmerized by the colorful graphs...

You may also want to check out: http://www.bestplaces.net/city/default.aspx
You can do comparisons on various aspects (climate, cost of living, crime rate, etc.).

I've moved a LOT. Almost always woefully uninformed and didn't care because I was hypo many of those times and not worried about anything. Some hard lessons along the way. Now I know. Info is good.

No I will not know anyone. It would be tough. I am thinking of signing up for volunteering right away. Thanks for the links. I am now also considering Buffalo NY whose climate is described as dryer in summer. Solid healthcare, section 6 available.

buffalo vs minnesota...personally i would opt for minnesota. nys is expensive. just the taxes alone will kill you. & buffalo...the land of lake effect snows & poor jobs potential.

i lived in michigan for a long time (ok it was eons ago) but honestly i loved the midwest. i found it to be open, friendly, decent. yes cold..but ya know..they do cold..it's not a big deal. as for the heat..well it's not as bad there as it is elsewhere. trust me..i was way up in northern michigan & while it got hot it certainly wasn't unbearable.

i think with rochester & the mayo clinic instate i would think minn. would have a better grip on health care...

buffalo (sorry nys peeps)...it's hard up there in that neck of the woods...

besides..moving to minnesota will allow you to partake in this:

[LOO-tuh-FIHSK] A Scandinavian specialty made with unsalted dried cod. The age-old preparation method is to soak the dried cod in regularly changed cold water for a period of eight days. The cod is then soaked for two days in a mixture of water and potash lye, after which it's soaked for two more days in fresh water. (Thankfully, for fans of this dish, ready-to-cook lutefisk is commercially available.) The final step is simmering the fish for 10 to 15 minutes, just until it becomes translucent. Just before serving, lutefisk is sprinkled with allspice, salt and white pepper. It's accompanied with béchamel and, typically, boiled potatoes.

I was born and raised in northern Minnesota, but lived in the Twin Cities for 16 years. Now I've moved back up north to live the "country life". I think you could make a worse choice than Minneapolis. The quality of living is very good, the people are nice, and it seems like there is a hospital or clinic on every block. Many people ski and do other winter sports, but snow can be a problem. Global warning I guess. Our downhill ski hills make snow so there good all winter. Warning though Minnesota is not known for its great downhill ski hills. In the summer bicycling is popular as well as any watersport. By the way I always thought northern California would be nice.

Do be aware that there is a very long wait list for section 8 housing, and the wait list is rarely open. I live just north of minneapolis. As for rochester and the mayo, they really have no effect outside of those hospitals. I have been to several metro-area hospitals and have had some decent and other not so decent encounters.

I live 70 some miles south of Minneapolis. Where I am there is a waiting list for Section 8 housing. They take some applications and fill the slots, then close the list for months. It may be that way no matter where you go because there are so many people out of work looking for housing.

I live in a double-wide trailer and this winter I paid $68 a month for heating. Last year it was more like $90 because it was so cold. I haven't found the summers to be all that humid or hot. My cable and internet bill is higher than that. The only public assistance I know of is General Assistance (maximum is $203 a month) MFiP which is only for families, SSI (average monthly is $529 + $96 from MSA but I think it is higher in the cities). I don't know of any other public assistance. We do have MinnesotaCare for medical assistance and what we call Medicare - Medical Assistance. Of course we have the food stamp program - they give you a "credit card" called an EBT card. You should go to the MN website and look into assistance.

It's been interesting looking ups this stuff here is a website for MN Dept of human services -

http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcp...Name=id_020088

Oh, I forgot, there is Energy Assistance:

http://mn.gov/commerce/energy/topics...tance-Program/

I continue to surf and found a fact I had not known before but wondered about the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines effective February 21, 2012 is $930 a month for one person.

I'll quit now.

My husband has a good chance of being offered a transfer with his company to the silicon valley. After researching, I have found that even with a cost of living raise, there is no way we can have the same housing that we have here in North Carolina. A house for our family would cost over a million dollars, and that is just for a small 4 bedroom house. I dread having to decide what to do if the transfer comes through. I would consider staying in NC and having just him relocate. Even with travel, the costs would be cheaper.
Bluemountains

Move to a place with old radiators for heating. You'll have your windows open all winter and heat is included in your rent!

Ann, this is hugely helpful. IFF I win the SSDI case, I will be over the poverty guideline. While I wait - after my California State disability runs out in December or earlier - I should qualify. I have spoken to someone who has lived in Indiana and Maine; told him that I am also looking at Ohio cities where the rents are the same according to Craigslist. He told me that, for one, Columbus does not get snow and it is pointless to me to live in a cold city without snow, and for another, it has higher crime statistics than Minneapolis. He also told me that Minnesota is considered the most snowy of the adjacent states. In the meantime, I have found cheaper rents in Dakota, but I think that I would be so far removed from places that I would expend the difference in gas. Minneapolis has everything. I am becoming more and more convinced, and I greatly value your input on the (absence of) humid heat in summer. It is important to me not to repeat the Austin, TX experience.

I ruled out Buffalo, thanks stumpy. For reasons you mention plus - too close to my unfriendly and unhelpful relatives who reside in Montreal and NYC.

Now... just saw my new p-doc. Second visit - she told me to take a cancellation because I was recently suicidal. She knows my situation (besides what is described in my original post, I face the need to move SOMEWHERE from my apartment, because my apartment is in the same apartment complex with that of my ex-husband and two daughters, and my ex-husband has nightmares because I remind him of bad things I did against him and other people whom I summoned did against him - a long list, I am very destructive and self-destructive and do not learn from experience). She recommends that I move out locally, possibly to a room to save on the rent, and they will submit disability paperwork in June. So basically here I would have a good lawyer and a supportive doctor, and in Minneapolis I will need to search for both. But since the SSDI case is likely to persist for months/years, I probably should stay in the same place once I file (the lawyer won't fly for the hearing, will he?). So it is between renting a room here in CA and renting my own apartment in Minneapolis. Well not quite - renting a room here in San Jose is cheaper than renting a one-bedroom in Minneapolis. That is the economic side. On the emotional side, we have: living in the same county with my former family versus living all the way in the Mid-West where they won't even visit as my ex-husband hates snow. Mid-West would be a clean slate. Whether this is a good thing, I do not know now. So many unknowns. Maybe it would be a matter of a few months to acquire a supportive doctor in MN? With a lawyer, it is trickier - the one I planned to retain here is good for sure. In Minneapolis: I do not know anyone and yelp is silent. On the issue of psychiatrists, yelp is mostly silent as well. People are not so eager to post reviews, unfortunately - they would gladly review their hairdressers instead because there is no privacy concern there.

The situation is exacerbated by the fact that for three years I have not driven a car, relying instead on public transit (a long story why). I have the driver's license now that the medical revocation has been reversed, but I am afraid of highways. On April 6 I will have a 2-hour lesson with a professional driving school. They said that they will assess my readiness to go on a highway. How will I move to another state or even start living anywhere else in my county if I am afraid of highways? Plus, I will need to buy a new car, by myself, and I have never done that.

I am half-scared, half-adventorous.

Oh, I would love that.

I have reread my ex-husband's email to me about the move. He wants me out of the area, not out of the apartment complex. As far as possible. This speaks for Minneapolis then. I am glad I have re-read the letter before creating another confusion. He wants the whole area clear of me. I insulted him that much.

Roommating in Minneapolis/StPaul runs about 400 utilities included. I guess this is a separate question - how advisable is it for a bp to share living quarters with someone?

I guess I might ask, how did it work when I lived with someone else - husband? Was the breakup part of BP? How do you do in close quarters with a stranger?

As far as HAVING to move far away. Your husband may want you out of the area but that is actually your choice. You could move across town. If you see him turn the other way. I think about my situation. I had to quit working and the very idea of seeing someone from my job puts me into a panic. It's been about 6 years and I have yet to run into anyone from work. Just being in the same town doesn't mean you will see him. Moving across the country is a big deal. Don't let anyone push you into it if that's not what you actually want.

I would prefer to not have reminders that this town constantly offers me. Closeness to my old job. Places where I met with my ex-husband's former friends scheming against him. Places where good things happened, too. For me, I believe, a clean slate will be better.

And yes, BP was a big reason behind the break-up, though not the only one.

If you have a supportive pdoc and lawyer for SSD, Stay put and use them. I'm serious. You can always move 20 minutes after the paperwork comes in okayed. But until then, you are going to need every ounce of support you can get to back you up. Your ex will just have to deal with you remaining in the area. Let him move, if he hates it so much.

As for roommating it, I took three people- at different times- into my home, and had the usual trials and tribulations. I had to kick out one, she was schizo and went off her meds. We got along really well while she stayed medicated, but then I caught her smoking pot on elementary school grounds, in my car. Not wanting to lose the house or car to the drug laws, I evicted her. Lesson there: Never get your roommates from the psych unit, even if you are on it with her! The second was an elderly lady and we got on quite well for 9 months. The third was an RN and rarely home, so I had a lot of time to myself. The hardest thing i found about living with others was that I'm not a good judge of character and am easily fooled by prospectives. The easiest thing - never take in some one else who has MH/MI problems. I had enough trouble keeping myself stable without having the moods of another to deal with.

~Buggs

Talked to a t-doc whom I see from time to time. He liked the idea of Minneapolis. He thought that the sheer geographic distance would be mean that I would be out of a possibility of mischief vis-a-vis my former family, and would start building my own life. We did not discuss disability though. But this supportive doctor whom I have now - she became supportive on the second visit; I can get this support in another city, too. Perhaps not on the second visit, but the fourth.

It turns out that not all states treat SSDI applicants the same. The following is the list of the states that approve more than 50% of initial applicants. Minnesota, on the contrary, approves 46%. So now I am looking at spending two years in a high approver state. Ruling out high rent states, I am left with cold winter states, primarily Wyoming. Does anyone know much about those states and in particular cities inside those states?

Hawaii 51.3%
Nebraska 51.7%
South Dakota 52%
Maryland 52.3%
New York 52.9%
Alaska 53.2%
Delaware 53.5%
Massachusetts 53.6%
Vermont 53.8%
North Dakota 53.9%
District of Columbia 55.4%
New Hampshire 56.8%
Wyoming 59.1%
New Jersey 59.4%

On the other hand,
Minnesota
46.6%
which is 3 percentage points higher than California, the state I am currently in, and Minnesota is so much easier to live in. Lifeway kefir is not available in Laramie WY and seems to be spottily available in Casper WY (although I will call the grocery store). Social services, I am sure, are better in Minneapolis than in Wyoming. In Wyoming I would be more afraid to become homeless. Then again, a higher chance of success. Go figure.

And then there are the Dakotas, that I believe are somewhere in-between.

I better start giving away stuff from my apartment as this needs to be done any which city I am ultimately headed to.

How come no one ever wants to move to Illinois lol.....