Being homeless in SD (San Diego, Santa Monica: rent, hotels, buying)

[Kansoku]

I was wondering if there are places such as University classrooms where you could sleep in segments without getting harrassed and then eat free food at the homeless shelter?

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by Kansoku

I was wondering if there are places such as University classrooms where you could sleep in segments without getting harrassed and then eat free food at the homeless shelter?

Nope.

There are shelters and there are canyons and there are streets. The end.

[Bootstrap Bill]

Doesn't San Diego have a bunch of cheap residential hotels? A few hours of collecting cans should be enough to pay for a room and something to eat.

[Kansoku]

How cheap are they?

[Kansoku]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

Nope.

There are shelters and there are canyons and there are streets. The end.

Are there bad people who harass people sleeping in canyons?

[Bootstrap Bill]

Originally Posted by Kansoku

How cheap are they?

I don't know. It's been over 20 years since I've been in San Diego.

As far as shelters go, I heard there's one in downtown San Diego that's nice. It's named after Joan Kroc (widow of the McDonald's founder) who paid for most of it. You can stay up to two weeks (longer if you get a job) and the rooms look like motel rooms - you share with up to three other people and you can come and go whenever you want, no curfew.

If not, I'd suggest getting the best sleeping bag you can find. I wouldn't stay in a "rescue" mission if you paid me to.

I was homeless once in my early 20's. I'm glad those days are long gone.

[moved]

There are no residential hotels that will let you stay per night. They're all monthly residents. The shelter in downtown San Diego isn't a Joan Kroc shelter - it's part of St. Vincent de Paul. And the part that's named after Joan Kroc is by referral only. It's for families and singles, and the singles have had to jump through hoops to be qualified to be referred to it. St. Vincent de Paul is the best place to start, but you have to go into the office to see when they give out the lottery tickets. That's how you get a bed there, with a lottery ticket. No other way.

Like Sassberto said, there are shelters, canyons and streets. With winter coming, the shelters will be hard to get into. I suggest buying a down sleeping bag and a tent for living on the streets.

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by moved

There are no residential hotels that will let you stay per night.

There are still some SRO's downtown where you can rent by the night. They are expensive and plauged with crime, though.

[JakeDog]

This ain't Santa Monica. Don't come. Thanks.

[carlos123]

Originally Posted by Bootstrap Bill

Doesn't San Diego have a bunch of cheap residential hotels? A few hours of collecting cans should be enough to pay for a room and something to eat.

Ahem...cough, cough...(clearing my throat)...well intentioned thoughts on your part Bootstrap Bill I am sure...but not realistic.

Have you ever tried to collect enough cans in one day to pay for a nights stay at a hostel which charges...say $17 a night?

Let's see...$17 divided by 5 cents a can (which is approximately what you get) equals...let's see...that's 340 cans. Know anywhere where someone can find themselves 340 cans in one day?

Not doable short of a miracle in my opinion. And we are not talking food on top of that and a day bus pass on top of that if one does not live within walking distance of a drop off point.

No offense intended Bootstrap Bill...I am sure you mean well but these are the kinds of well intentioned thoughts that are often shared by those who have not been on the streets and have had to face the reality that many such ideas simply don't work the way they are purported to work.

Carlos