You Have a Weeks Notice That You Will be Homeless

I didn’t have a week, I had twenty-four hours

I recently wrote a series of articles about my brief period of homelessness. I shared links to these articles on Quora. I am still receiving feedback on these articles.

People are curious about Homelessness

Someone asked me what should they do if they had a week’s notice that they would be homeless. I didn’t have a week, I had twenty-four hours to get out.

I should have read the writing on the wall and been better prepared, but that’s water under the bridge. I have advice that might be helpful, the advice I learned the hard way.

Don’t look like a tourist

I wish I would have had a duffel bag or a backpack, I had an overnight bag. When you’re waiting for a meal or a bed at a homeless shelter you want to be invisible. I stood out because I looked like a damned tourist, and it’s easier to get around with a backpack.

Be proactive, it will not go away

You should call around while you still have a phone, find out where the shelters are. If you have lots of friends, you could sofa hop for a few weeks or more.

I was in a new city, so I had no friends to help me. Sofa hopping wasn’t an option.

Forget about your stuff

You will have a house or apartment full of memories, stuff that means a lot to you, if it doesn’t fit in the backpack, leave it. and forget it.

I know it will be hard, but you will waste time and energy trying to keep the stuff you will lose anyway.

Don’t be afraid to seek help

If you’re employed, tell your employer what’s going on, They might be able to help you, or they might fire you. You will probably lose the job anyway, so you have nothing to lose, and they might be able to help.

Think, don’t let it overwhelm you

The best advice I can give is don’t give in to despair. You can’t think straight if you’re feeling sorry for yourself. If I had it to do over again, I would have worked out some plan.

If I would have talked to someone earlier, a County or State Agency, or a Church. The three years of homelessness could have been avoided.

Final thought

Becoming homeless is a traumatic experience. It can be easier if you think and make decisions from a place of calm. Reacting instead of acting will make a bad situation worse.

Get help from churches and Social Sevices, take advantage of every resource. Hang in there and take one day at a time, and you will get through it.