Has anyone had to SLEEP IN CAR?

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Hello-

I am going to a school - a small oschool. There is no more housing and the disabililty director has no answers and neither does housing.

I called the palces off campus they recommend. Here are the problems:


1. Going thru Voc Rehab. They wil only pay for 4 months in an apartment. And that is a low rate. No one accepts what they are offering.
2. Because my govt makes me stay poor for health care, I do not have an extra $3000 to plop down for hosuing.
3. If I get a palce off campus with a room mate, I am afraid of how that will go. I have extreme sense issues that make people very upset.
4. It looks like because of all the above, I am going to have to sleep in my car.

I called teh Chenellor, Too bad... Life is hard. Further, they said there are a lof of students with DISABILTIES and medical conditions in my situation! OMG.

So it's a brick wall everywhere.

I do not mind sleeping ni car but it is in cold climate.

Has anyone else had to do this?

VR cannot give me anymore and therapist is also unable to help.

Called the TEACCH up there, but they are not able to help with housing.

Anyhone have anyhthign to offer besides sending me a blanket? Blankets owuld be nice if that is all you can give,. though.

Oh, Sorenna, so sorry

Wife who is Bubbybird on here, asked if you can get a Pell Grant, assuming you live in a place where those are available.

Years before we got married; I've been homeless sleeping with my cat at the time in my car; and wife and her daughter and two birds slept in back of her pickup. Really feel for you

Not sure how to interpret the housing you have looked at, so asking have you looked at, or is there any, the subsidized "Section 8" housing in our community? They can have quite a waiting list and sometimes all of a sudden you're in.

For a wild hair idea see if there's a Lions Club or Kiwanis to ask if they know anything.

Look at bulletin boards in grocery store or laundromats; anything on campus?.

Inquire if any churches know anything.

Is there a YMCA or YWCA where you are, maybe they would have ideas.

I moved to a more affordable state when I realised I would probably become homeless if I stayed in that same state. Sometimes you have to go where you can afford to live. It worked out really well so give it some thought.

Section 8 might openif you are homeless. THat is true! I was on a wait list for ten YEARS because I was not homeless and I asked them what gives and they said because I was not homeless.

So that may be an option.

I contacted the person from TEACCH who is affilaited with the college.

She might have some options.

Before I knew I had Autism I would have been very upset if I thought a person with autism had to sleep in car to go to school. now that it is happening to me, I am rather embarassed to ask for help because I am not liek rain man.

I can talk, am verbal, can make eye contact, but I am otherwise very much a mess.

Thank you so much for your advice. I will try to do this as soon as I get there when weather is warm. If Istart to crash emotionally and it gets cold thenIwll stop going to classes and just fail. Wehreas if I were Bernie Madoff- with what he paid on a snack- about $3,000- I could have housing for a WHIOLE SEMESTER .

Does npt seem right.

You're comparing yourself to the wrong people. Don't think of Bernie Maddoff, think of a Tutsi in Rwanda, or an Afghan in the Swat Valley. Don't' think about the rich kids that are wearing on their backs and on their feet enough to keep you in house and gas and food for a semester, think of the Cherokee on the Trail of Tears. Think about living through the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression.
I don't know how you grew up. Probably with more security than you have now, but lots of people post on WP from the public library and they live out of their cars. I would suggest to go to a warmer area, but then you contend with many more people just as destitute as you, trying to make it, too. I lived just recently in a little potting shed in a back yard with an electrical cord out to it for 19 months as I got part time jobs until I got my current job. I paid a gym to take showers every morning when I did get work and got a trac phone for my 'home phone number'. I used the public library to go online and got past sell by dated food from the local churches (watch the fats and starches, they will really build up on you and lay on the fat!)
and it wasn't the first time I have been homeless through my long life of being autistic. I just never knew I was and even though I didn't think it was right, I had nothing but my self to blame for not being able to have a place with a working toilet.

I ain't saying it's right. I ain't saying it's pretty. I ain't saying its safe. I am saying sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do. I wish you all the best.

I've slept in my truck on nights when I was too drunk to drive it, but I never planned on it. I know people that ended up in a situation where they couldn't find affordable housing. One option that seemed to work for a few of them was to get a camper trailer. You can get a camper trailer for about a grand, and they all have propane heating, while many also have a bathroom with a shower and a small kitchen area with a gas stove. It's a lot cheaper than an apartment, and unlike a "mobile home", this actually is mobile as you just have to hitch it to your car to move it. The only hard part is finding a place to park it, in the summer it's easy enough to leave it at a campground, but in the winter you might have to find a friend who doesn't mind having you live in their driveway.

sleeping in a car is just dumb. someone will break in and u might get raped. it is illegal to sleep in a car. and you will have to poop and piss outside. and what are you studying anyway? sounds like if you don't have housing, you can't really study there. that's life and in reality making tall plans in the sky does not work.

it's obvious you have never slept in a car. You get a bucket and poop and pee and take it to a porta potti or the gas startion. you lock your door and you don't make it obvious you are in the car (it's called Stealth camping.) Saying someone is going to get raped does NOT HELP THE SITUATION, L2S. You just thank your lucky stars you are not in this postion.



Overnight Parking While Car Living
A stealth car and a good parking space are the essential ingredients to pleasant car living. I have already covered the essentials of stealth vehicles.. and they are essentials. A completely hidden rear-living area and a non-descript car will take you far.

So where should you park at night? My first instinct was that a remote and/or concealed area would be best. During the Nissan Sentra experiment, I started by parking in an abandoned lot- concealed by trees. This worked for a few days and then the police found me. The Athens police have always been quite nice.... it was very obvious that I was living in my car (this was in my "pre-stealth days) but they didnt hassle me. They did tell me that I couldnt park on the lot. I was brash and asked them where I could park without them bothering me. They suggested any public parking space in the downtown area... especially if it didnt have a meter. I thanked them and found just such an area-- only 100 feet from the lot I had been in.


The best parking spaces are, in fact, in populated areas... where your car will be one of many. Ideally, this should be in a multi-use area... a place with several different types of establishments. For example, my favorite area (where I have NEVER been bothered) is near a nightclub, an apartment building, a convention center, and office buildings. As a result, cars come and go at all hours. I could conceivably be at any one of these places, so no one pays attention.

Other multi-use areas might include: a 24 hour grocery near apartments, a 24-hour gym near a motel, a late night restaurant with nearby offices, a bar with condos nearby, etc...
But these aren't always easy to find,... especially in the suburbs.

In the burbs, I usually park in large apartment complexes. I choose a spot that is caddy-corner to busy entrances or balconies.. I don't want to be in line with front windows. I arrive and leave at off-peak times and once I arrive I NEVER leave the vehicle. I quickly crawl into the back, and pull the partition that runs behind the front seats (a dark sheet on a shower rod works well for this).

Also, I rotate between 5-6 complexes... going to a different one each night. When its time to go, I quickly crawl into the front seat, start the car, and leave. I did this for the last five months in Georgia and have never been discovered.

Busy motels, truck stops, state parks, campgrounds, and the like are decent for one-night, occaisonal stops... but not great for extended periods of time. Multi-use areas with late night activity are best.


Of course, the ideal place is the driveway of a sympathetic friend. I had this option last summer and it was perfect.

A note about very bad places to park (other than empty lots): 1. Never park near a police station, as they are very observant of their immediate surroundings. 2. Never park in housing developments or UPSCALE apartment buildings... again, these people tend to be paranoid and hyper-vigilant. 3. Never park where there are alot of children (in a school zone or daycare area, for example), as you may be mistaken for a stalker. 4. Don't park near banks or other high security areas, as again, these people are hyper-paranoid. 5. In general, don't tell friends or others about the locations you park in. 6. If confronted by the police... NEVER admit to sleeping/camping in your vehicle even if its obvious!! !! (tell them you got tired and were "resting" before going home (or to a friends or whatever).

Finally, try to keep your movements slow and gentle when parking overnight... as you don't want people to notice the car shaking or rocking ! !

Thank you, Sins!

You have given me a lot of tips. But please don't think you were to blame. It was not your fault that a gene went astray.

As far as LearningtoSurvive's rude comment?:

Sheeeesh. I will be ON CAMPUS. And no it is not illegal. I have already discussed it with housing.

THere is NO HOUSING.

And they have told me that there are people with serious medical situations in same boat.

Wake up. SinsBoldy is right. You may not like it, but you have autism, too. Unless you are a faker.

And when life hits you, if you have not been lucky- boom- welcome to the real world. You may htink the world cares that you have autism and that if you are ever in need there will be a swarm of people to help you because you saw on ad for TEACCH on TV that is so warm and fuzzy. That is not how it is. You are only in your 20's......there is A LOT of "Life With Autism" that happens after you are out of your 20's, aging weirdly, your sexuality waning, no one wants to help you anymore......wait and see how life unfolds for you unelss you are veryyyyyyyy lucky.

Plan now, pal.

Sins- I grew up in a poor home, but it was a different era. Going to one dr appt would not bankrupt you. I had one appt that was $10,000!! !

So we were poor but the insecurity was not there because it was not like it is today.

I have talked to housing and they know about it. It's sad. I ought to go on You Tube and show how disabled college students are forced to live in this country.

I remember my former boss (who I suspect had AS) telling me that while he was a grad student, for one semester he was homeless and ended up staying in a remote area of one of the school buildings. It was a while ago when he told me that story so I don't remember how he did it without getting caught, but I remember thinking it was sorta convenient because the school buildings had electricity and water and bathrooms, and of course the building is heated during the winter. Perhaps he just had to be really stealthy about his belongings, and being at the spot only for sleeping to ensure that security didn't catch him. I assume it was also easier for him since he had a key to the building for access to the lab, so he could get in and out whenever...! I also remember as an undergrad there were a lot of students sleeping in the computer labs. Something like that might overload your sensory issues but at least it was a safe place to sleep... if perhaps not all that private.

I don't know if you have the ability to do anything like this, maybe not everyday but once in a while, if it would make your life any easier than living out of your car 7 nights a week. Either way it won't be easy by any means. Good luck!

That is also a very good idea!

I am sure that if someone catches me, no one will be mad at me. It is not my fault. Most of the security guards are not there for strudents but for people who have no need to be there.

I am paying a lot to be there .I better be able to find a safe corner!

If I can make a friend which is not easy for me, but if I can I might also be able to find someone to let me shower once in a while.

I will let you know and Iwill keep in touch about how it ends up. I am very glad for the advice you have all given.

I can't really see how living in your car is going to be easier than with a roommate.

Roommates may make noise at bad times, but you're still in a (hopefully) well-built building that shuts off the noise from OUTSIDE. Especially in the city, there's noise outside 24x7. Even if you have roommates that stay up until past 3 AM, that's still 4 hours of quiet (4-8 AM) vs. zero.

I've also lived in houses where there are zero hours of guaranteed quiet, but those were somewhat extreme cases. (one person up till 3, another gets up at 5, an apartment with a 300LB insomniac above with the most horrible construction).

Other places, I heard NOTHING from the roommates, even when they got up earlier or stayed up later than me. One place was well-built enough that the person living in the room next to mine could listen to music 24x7, and I wouldn't hear a thing. That's certainly better than living in the car.


Now, personally, living in my car may soon be an option, since I can't get a job, and I don't want to live in my parent's house for the rest of my life. HUD is an option, too, but who knows how long it will take to get in.

School libraries usually are open for many hours each day everyday, and many of them have couches or private cubicles where you can conveniently stretch out and sleep without much ambient noise. The only times to worry about really are at night, when libraries and school buildings may be closed or locked, and when security may be out and about. During these times the options like the 24/7 computer labs where students are often working into late night to get last-minute assignments done are appealing; you'd just have to get in the building somehow if you don't have access to the building doors at odd hours. If you are willing to shift your sleep schedule a bit, you may want to consider sleeping in libraries/computer labs while you have the chance, like late afternoons or evenings, and then doing the bulk of studying at nighttime when you'll be awake to look out for security, other people, etc., whichever works best for you. Some buildings have student lounges with small tables for studying, or even a random couch or comfy chair in various places in the building. If security sees you in a public spot like that and you are studying, they'll probably just think you're a hard worker and leave you alone. You can even eat while studying and it's not typically an issue. Heck, there are even vending machines in some of these lounges.

Showering is not too much of a problem as conceivably if there's a gym that's free for students, they will have showers there. Alternatively if there are any restrooms specifically for handicapped people, these are usually extra large bathrooms designed for only a couple of people at a time, you can take a small washcloth and lightly scrub yourself down using the sink. It's perhaps not as good as a full shower, but it's better than nothing and you'll still feel relatively fresh after a good scrub.

The key for this to work is, as sinsboldly had touched upon earlier, leaving a small footprint. It probably won't be a good idea to sleep in the library or lab with a whole lot of personal stuff with you, maybe just your backpack, a small pillow, and a small blanket that can be packed away into your backpack very easily for simple and quick movement if needed. Then you can always return to your car if you need to get a change of clothes or something else. Oh that reminds me... if you have a student parking permit for parking in one of the on-campus lots, there usually is not a problem keeping your car there overnight, so you won't have to keep moving the car around to avoid fines. Unfortunately student parking permits are usually quite expensive.

I only had to sleep in my explorer once...and that was because I was doing a very long drive from Winnipeg, Manitoba (was visiting a friend in Winnipeg) to my parents place in Vegreville, Alberta (an hour east of Edmonton) which is a 13 hour drive from Winnipeg.I got tired at around 2 am somewhere in Saskatchewan outside of North Battleford, and had to pull over at a rural truck stop and sleep for a few hours so I wouldn't fall asleep behind the wheel...Good thing I keep a sleeping bag and a warm coat in the back.It was the beginning of May and the weather was very cold for that time of the year because of a cold front.

You could create a blog where you can track your plight with daily entries and photos, and also ask for donations to help. Then notify the media about the blog. Perhaps one of them will run a story and give you, and your situation, more exposure.

Having to sleep in a car is not the worst thing that can happen to you. MANY people have had to live in a car for prolonged periods of time and for various reasons. For example, Jewel and Hilary Swank lived in their cars for years before they got famous. Besides, it's not your fault that you have to do this. I've never had to sleep in a car for many days at a time, only a few nights far in-between when I was younger on occasions when we had no other place to stay for the night.
You're not alone, and you're not in the worst situation possible. At least you have a car to stay in!