Have you ever been homeless?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

I have. Several times at different periods in my life.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. No. I have been very fortunate

Even when things did go quite bad for me years ago, I have always had my family available for support.

[stevedeshazer]

2. For a brief time

It was summer and I camped out after my (ex)-wife split with our young daughter. I had to rely on my family and employer to get back on my feet..

[snoochie]

3. I have

[alfredo]

4. A couple times, by choice most of the time.

Two times I was homeless against my will.

Lived in tents, on porches, and in a big closet.

[guitar man]

5. I have

Courtesy of Reaganomics.....

[David Zephyr]

6. Homeless and On the Streets at 17.

On and off for several years as a kid.

[Skittles]

8. damn.........................David

you have overcome a lot. I've never been homeless but I was a GI brat with a mentally ill father who eventually committed suicide; I do know what it is like to grow up with no stability whatsoever.

[HEyHEY]

7. no thank god

Whenever things got or get rough I've got parents, sisters, friends. WHo would never throw me out...I hope

[Zorra]

9. I'm not sure.

What does "homeless" mean?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

10. I'm not sure

whether to take your post seriously.

You really don't know what people mean when they use the word "homeless"?

Honestly? Or are you trying to make some point?

[Zorra]

11. Sorry. I'm serious.

What does homeless mean?

I'm not sure I grasp the concept. The best I can do is to think of not having enough blankets to keep warm or not having a place to get out of the rain. Or maybe having children to take care of and not being able to provide food and shelter for them. I have, TG, never been in those situations.

But I hitchiked around the US for a year and a half once, and lived traveling around in a VW Van for a year. But I did not think of myself as homeless at those times.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

12. Yeah, I thought you were trying to make a point.

"But I hitchiked around the US for a year and a half once, and lived traveling around in a VW Van for a year. But I did not think of myself as homeless at those times."

Maybe you didn't 'think of yourself as homeless' but by using those examples, you showed that you do indeed know what the word means.

[will work 4 food]

13. Never have, but for the grace of God.

[amazona]

22. full-timing doesn't qualify as homeless

Being well-off enough to travel about the country in your van or RV is not being homeless, it's being retired or being a "full-timer," as the seniors put it.

Homeless is a financial state, and being a traveler is not the same as being homeless. In my humble opinion.

The times spent camping and living in a tent when I had a home to go back to don't qualify as being homeless...they qualify as vacation or sabbatical or early retirement.

Just my humble opinion.

[Interrobang]

14. I've been at "no fixed address" a few times...

Wound up couch-surfing with friends for a while (different friends almost every night), parcelling out my stuff for people to store for me until I could get a job, and a place, and occupying (in almost the sense of "Iraq" -- they were *very* unwilling to have me) my parents' office room, which has a futon in it, for about 4 months when I was unemployed, broke, and sick and had nowhere else to go. For a while it was so bad I spent money I didn't really have to spend on a cheap cell phone just so that if someone was trying to get hold of me (like, say, my parents, or a potential employer), they could.

I don't know if that really qualifies me as "homeless," because, while I didn't have a place of my own, I was never on the street, either.

[scarlet_owl]

15. Yes, as a child.

We were homeless for a time, but I don't like to go into details about it.

[maxanne]

16. my story

is similar to David's. I left home at 16 - and lived on the streets until I was 18. I sold drugs, and worked at shitty jobs. I couch surfed, and slept in condemned buildings and barns.

David Zephyr - glad you made it. :thumbsup:

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/who.html

This link provides a little information about the definitions of homelessnes - and statistics on the homeless population. There is a lot of good information on this site. As they point out, homelessness is different in rural areas. I happen to live in a rural area. There are people who live in tents in campgrounds all year. There are people living in cars. A young man with mental illness was living under a bridge until he was beaten so badly he had to get medical help.

Digging into the link above will give you some information about violent crimes against the homeless - crimes which are on the increase. The violence against homeless people is initiated by young men, mostly. Late teens, early twenties. It is distressing to know that some of our younger people are so disturbed, so angry that they would take it out on people who are among the most marginalized in our society.

[RetroLounge]

17. Yes, 14 years ago, for a few months

somewhat by choice, but mostly due to divorce, job loss, and addiction...

Lived in a car for a month, crashed where I could, begged, borrowed, lied, cheated and stole to survive.

Sounds worse now than I think it actually was, as I was fortunate that it only lasted a short while until I got on my feet again. Good people trusted me and took me in for short periods of time so I could eat, shower, clean up and get resumes out. Hard to find a job without an address or phone.

Wouldn't wish it on anyone...

[annonymous]

18. For a brief period in 1985

I was between jobs and did not want to live with my parents so I moved to the big city without knowing anyone there. I slept with a guy I met at the library just to have someplace to live. It didn't last long because we were not compatible. I found a place of my own as well as a job about a month later.

[bicentennial_baby]

19. Yep

It sucked, big time

[Elidor]

20. 9 months on the streets of Atlanta

I slept in cars, under bushes in the freezing rain, abandoned buildings, in a tree house, in a tent, at a couple of shelters. I still remember the gnawing hunger of not having eaten in days and the profound despair of having nowhere to go, no one to turn to. Extreme cold and heat, and no place to wash up.

I wouldn't wish it on a dog. I would, however, wish it on people who go around mouthing off about how all homeless people are addicts and criminals, or how you shouldn't give them money, or how it's all their own fault. People who insist on parading their own ignorance would do well to STFU.

[amazona]

21. yes but i pride myself you couldn't've told NT

.

[WWW]

23. Yup

but not in the destitute way. Our house burned down five years ago. We lived in the car and at various houses for a couple of days. And then were able to rent. It was probably one of the worst points in my life. Me, my husband, my 10-year-old son, my 11-year-old daughter, our 100 lb. black lab and two cats. Living in a Jeep and a tent. I remember my husband demarcating the way back of the Jeep for trash, food and paperwork. Bought dog food and provisions at the store and came back to the tent only to realize that I didn't have a bowl to put the dog food in. Anyone who has a family and is homeless is at the top of my Thanksgiving wish list for better times.