Best Way to be Homeless: Advice Please!

Well, I'm homeless. In fact, living on the streets. (Friends are mostly college kids with leases that don't allow overnight guests or locals that live miles outside the city.) I'm looking for a place to go but it isn't easy to find housing in Boston on a very low (SSDI disability low) budget.

So, I'm asking for advice about how to survive and make the most of this? Please let me know about any feasible (real, non-theoretical) ways to get off the streets.

My experience has been that all homeless shelters are full. Trying to get a bed is usually not worth the effort since my medical conditions are triggered and worsened in the process. I have no kids so apparently there is no emergency housing. I'm just stuck carrying bags around, trying to find a place to sleep where the police won't bother me.

Advice is more than welcome! But only true advice. There are a lot of "myths" about help that either isn't really available or is nearly impossible to get with odds similar to winning a lottery.

Is there anything of importance keeping you in Boston?

If not, I would purchase a one way Greyhound bus ticket and leave. I would go some place with a lower cost of living. If you moved to one of the southern states (Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, ETC), or a suburban area where cost of living is low (excluding some of the bigger Texas cities like Austin, Huston), you could easily afford an apartment. I currently live in the south and my studio apt. that I stay in is $500 a month with water included and electric costs me around $60 a month on average which is affordable in an SSDI budget.

You could additionally find a room mate to split costs. There are a number of room mate matching services to help you find somebody that you're compatible with that you could find via a Google search.

Also, if you have a plasma center near you and are able to become a regular donor, you could earn an extra $300-400 a month if you are willing to donate 8 times per month. While this isn't the most ideal way to earn extra money, it is honest and helps people, plus it doesn't mess with your SSDI and it is easy to become a donor so long as you don't have a number of physical health complications.

There are ways out of your situation. Are you willing to take action?

Firstly I am so sorry that you have found yourself in this situation Joe.

I was homeless in the past living from hand to mouth on the streets...My advice it to keep your wits about you and use common sense whilst striving to facilitate ways to keep safe. As you are receiving disability payments yet not paying rent or utilities, you need to take this opportunity to save as much cash as possible. Try to get away from the city centre whilst hoarding your money as the city will keep you poor. I would also often eat from dumpsters behind fast food restaurants as they tend to toss out clean left overs rather than just trash. Lastly the most important of all...try your best to find alternate living arrangements before winter sets in again...winter on the streets is excruciating. Be kind and generous to yourself Joe...and wishing you all the best in moving forward.

I don't know how much internet access you have or if you can get access at a liibrary or something but www.swagbucks.com is a place you can earn some money online and it is legit-I've been doing it for 5 years. You can choose various things to do to earn points and when you get enough you can cash them out for gift cards or paypal for cash. 1-2 hours a day has been enough for me to get $25-$50/month in the past; I haven't been doing it lately very much because of computer problems.

I don't know if that helps or not but it got me through a really rough time .

if you google the words boston, homeless, services for the homeless in boston, boston homeless shelters, boston department of human services, you will find that boston actually has a lot of services/ programs and shelters for the homeless.

you can walk into any department of social services in boston and they will point you in the right direction.

since you are on SSI you will also need to report your living arrangement change as in letting them know you are homeless, they will also have listings of help/ and resources for the homeless.

Joe, I was homeless too once and totally understand your situation. Do you have any family who can help you? I come from a crazy family but they helped me to get back on my feet. I cannot thank them enough for their help despite their being nutty. I thought they would disown me but my mother of all people welcomed me back home. I stayed for two years then left and now am on my own and am working. If you can't work, then look into your city's social resources. Are you able to eat? You need to get food stamps or eat at the homeless shelters. Also, the social workers at the Rescue Mission helped me and were the ones to tell me to go home. May be you should talk to the social workers at the homeless shelters and ask them for their help. They may be able to direct you to receive benefits. However, in the meantime while you are applying you need a place to stay. If you have a mental illness and are not doing well, you can go to the emergency room and state you are a threat to yourself and may harm yourself. You may get checked into the hospital this way. You may not want to be there but at least there once they ascertain your situation, they may connect you with a social worker who may help you to obtain these benefits, such as housing.

I wish you well and much protection from God and His angels!!

Have you considered any transitional living places? If you're on SSDI I assume you have a disability of some sort. Obviously you want to avoid places labeled "group home" but transitional living is usually in the business of helping people get on their feet.

Also I would apply for public housing ASAP if you haven't already. I know how long the lists are (I'm still on them) but the sooner you get on it the better.

Check out the resources here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/homeless/

Can you maybe buy a cheap second-hand car to sleep in? It's dry, at least.

My bf was recently homeless in Boston/Cambridge. He stayed mainly in Cambridge in a shelter that let him stay six nights, then he had to leave for 4 nights and was on the streets. I know of the Pine Street shelter in Boston... they probably have lots of resources for you there as well and can help. He learned of where to go and how to survive by talking to people and those whom else were homeless along with him. Do you have a case worker through your SSDI? They could also help point you to resources. I am so sorry you are in this position! ((((Hugs))))

I'm sorry you're in such a tough jam. Every community is different. I don't know what Boston has to offer, by way of help. I'm thousands of miles away at the opposite corner of the country. I know, in my area, stag guys have the hardest time finding shelter. The shelters prioritize adults with children and women. A guy with a woman can get in some shelters that won't even take a guy alone. There's probably some sort of agency in the city (maybe more than one) that provides healthcare to the homeless. Boston and Mass, in general, is pretty active in matters of social welfare. Still . . . it's a big city, and I'm sure there's nowhere that's going to just set you up with a place to stay. But go to wherever provides healthcare to the homeless and ask to see someone for psych medication.

I recommend this whether or not you even want to be on medication. You may be taken a lot less seriously as needing support, if you're not being treated for a psych issue. "Being treated" tends to get interpreted as being on medication. So say you're depressed and get on something, if you aren't already. Then keep getting the prescription filled. Some agencies that help homeless people will check to see if you are "compliant with treatment" - meaning are you picking up your meds on a regular basis? (They call the pharmacy, or wherever you get your prescription filled, to see if you are picking up medication there.)

I'm sure Boston has various programs to get homeless men off the streets. But these type programs don't usually advertize on billboards. Sometimes you have to wait to be invited into a program that is run quietly. That could happen in various ways. Some shelters have more intensive help available for people who show up at the shelter who seem like they would be willing to commit to a program that makes demands of participants - like "no substance using." Try out as many different shelters as you can find. People working at, or running, some of those shelters may be "gate keepers" of programs that might help you. Show up, be cooperative and offer to be helpful in any way that they might like service from you. Check out Salvation Army shelters. Check out shelters run by other religious groups. Most aren't lookkng to convert you. They may sincerely want to be part of helping you find a longterm solution.

By now you know that other homeless men in Boston can be a source of information about what's available. Be nice to everyone you meet. You never know who might connect you with somerhing