Some years ago I had to stay at a homeless shelter for about a month. Yes, you can bring personal stuff with you, but leave valuable stuff, like your laptop and tablet somewhere else that's safe. Many people in shelters have problems with drugs, booze, and/or mental health issues, so they are not likely to respect your ownership rights to your stuff. Electronics and other valuable items have a resale value, and many of your shelter mates would be delighted to make some money by selling your valuables.
The shelter I stayed at was a Salvation Army shelter, and was well run, but some of my fellow "guests" had drug, booze, and mental health issues. That shelter had separate sleeping areas and shower rooms for men and women, and another area for women with kids, so it was safe for women to stay there. I do remember one Saturday morning there was a man outside in the parking lot from the men's side of the shelter. He was having a terrible argument, but there was no one out there with him--he was arguing with the invisible man! Others at the shelter mentioned some other weird stuff he did, and the staff had to have him sent to a medical place that handles psychiatric problems, as the shelter is not able to handle people with serious mental problems. Although the sleeping areas were separate, there was a common room for meals, with a TV. The shelter had some strict rules.
- That shelter required that you fill out an application and have an interview to get permission to stay there, and had a 30 day stay limit. If you got a job and were saving up for an apartment, they would let you stay longer, so you could get into the apartment. (I never figured out where and how they expected the unemployed guests to live after the 30 days were up.)
- You had to be in by a certain time at night or you would be locked out, and have to re-apply for permission to stay there again on subsequent nights. If you had a late appointment or were working late, then you were allowed to come in late, but had to let the staff know you would be late.
- At either 10 or 11 pm (can't remember which) they shut off the TV and you had to go to bed, with lights out a short time later.
- You were expected to leave every morning to look for a job, or go to an existing job, unless you had an appointment for something.
- You were supposed to stay out until around dinner time, so if you were done job hunting before then, you ran errands, or found places to hang out. There was a nice little park near the shelter where I hung out after my job searches were done for the day, and I also hung out in a mall parking garage, reading books, or went to the public library. The library computers helped in job hunting, as well as providing books to read for pleasure. I also went to the state job center in my county frequently to use their computer network for job hunting, free faxing for jobs, and free posting of resumes.
I had one benefit that most of the other shelter guests lacked--a car, and I still have the same vehicle. It still runs good, and I don't owe any money on it, so I see no need to trade up to a newer, and more expensive set of wheels. If you don't have a car, you will have to walk, take buses, or try to catch a ride with a shelter mate who has a car, unless you have a bike. If you have a bike, just be sure to lock it up good when not using it. Taxis are expensive, so if you are staying at a shelter, you are not likely to be able to afford one.
Although the rules at the Salvation Army shelter are strict, you need rules when running a shelter, to keep things from getting out of hand. Different shelters will have different rules. The staff at this shelter wanted to encourage the guests to better their lives and move on to better housing, so that's why they had rules about going to work, or looking for a job. The only rule I really had a problem with was the 30 day limit. If you are homeless and short on money, you need a place to stay, whether you have a job or not, and shelters are supposed to help out just such people, not turn them away after 30 days. I am not a carton of milk or other food, that expires and needs to be thrown away after a certain number of days. When my month was up a relative let me camp out for 3 months in a wreck of a house he had bought to fix up and sell. At the end of that time my parents had managed to buy a trailer near their summer home for me to live in. I've been here ever since. It's an old, and somewhat run-down trailer, but it's far better than the fixer upper, and I don't have to put up with the druggies, boozers, and mental cases from the shelter, so it is better than there, too. After I moved here I managed to qualify for assistance due to my health problems, and pay rent to my parents out of the assistance money.
If you must stay at a shelter find a safe place to store your more valuable items. Perhaps you could rent a small storage space at one of those storage places in your area. While your laptop and tablet are stored away, you can use the library computers for your computer needs. For entertainment at the shelter you will have to get by with a few books and a small radio, but don't try to play the radio at night, when your room mates are trying to sleep, as it will annoy them and they will report you to the staff if you don't turn it off. I had this problem when I was at the shelter. One of my room mates would turn her radio on, then pretend to be asleep until anyone tried to turn off the radio. She would pretend to lower it a little, but never enough, and would get nasty if anyone tried to turn it off. I did report her to the staff. I needed my sleep, and I wasn't the only one who was mad at the radio lady. And yes, if you stay at a shelter, you will have room mates. There are no private rooms in shelters. Two of the other ladies I shared a room with were normal--that is--no drug/booze/mental problems, but the others all had problems. The room I was in held up to 6 people in 3 bunk beds. There were a couple of smaller rooms that could hold 3 or 4 people, but they were seldom used while I was there. Women with kids were in another building across the parking lot, that had bigger quarters for families.
Things to try before heading for a shelter:
- Try mending fences with your folks.
- Try finding other relatives/friends to stay with.
- If you have a job, save up for an apartment, even if it's just a room.
- If you don't have a job, try to get one.
- If you don't have a job, can't get one, and can't find someone to stay with, apply for state assistance (cash, food stamps, Medicaid, rent assistance, and heating assistance). They may be able to find a welfare apartment, or a room at a welfare hotel for you. There is likely to be a long waiting list for housing, though.
- If you can't stay where you are, can't afford to go somewhere else, and can't get into a shelter, you will have to camp out. This may not be bad in the warm months, but you will need some place better once the weather turns cold again.
Hope my info helps.
29 May 2014, 7:38 am
