Thinking about becoming one of portlands homeless - need advice (Oakland: renters, motel)

[Leisesturm]

I'm serious as well and you have received usefull (if naive) information from others. Hmmm, you're going to be homeless in PDX, I daresay you'll have to deal with a lot worse than me.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by resident14

^ I don't appreciate you making jokes, this thread is serious I am really thinking about moving to Portland and I would be homeless because I don't have any money. If you are not offering me useful information please close your mouth.

Being homeless is a trap that is very difficult to get out of. Voluntarily stepping into a trap when you have other options, even if those options aren't that exciting, would be extremely foolish, and detrimental to your physical and mental health.

Having known a number of people who have been homeless at various points in their lives (and some who, for all practical purposes still are), I can tell you that NO ONE who has been homeless comes out of it unscarred. It will scar you for life. It will reduce your ability to socialize normatively, which in turn reduces your chances of retaining meaningful employment.

Can you live through it and go on to live a non-homeless life? Yes. But I'd be willing to bet a fairly substantial sum of money that if you went through being homeless that anyone paying attention to you later in your life will be able to tell you were homeless, even if it's just because something about you seems slightly "off."

I don't mean this to denigrate people who have been homeless - it's a traumatic experience usually resulting from desperate circumstances outside of their control - but I also refuse to pretend like people who go through it come out the way they went in. They don't. They change, and nearly all of the changes are for the worse. Even when the changes don't directly affect their relationship to other people, the changes often negatively affect their relationship with themselves.

You do not want to voluntarily subject yourself to being homeless. Neither of your parents would ever want that for you. Them being dead doesn't give you the right to risk you life and wellbeing in ways that would distress them. Suck it up in Virgina for a while, but plan your next moves. Anyone can live for 2-3 years in some part of the U.S. that isn't their first choice. It's not like you'd be living in Bolivia or Tadzhikstan. Save money, network, get a job (or jobs), take classes at a community college or public trade school. In the long run, you'll be a lot better off and, who knows, maybe someday you'll even look back fondly on those few years in Virginia where you started laying a foundation for the rest of your life.

[SyraBrian]

Maybe you should do a few day's worth of urban camping in Virginia just to see if you can handle it.

[resident14]

Originally Posted by Minervah

If you were to arrive in Portland without a place to live, chances are you would be on the streets for quite some time. I am saying this because this time of year especially the homeless shelters are full with waiting lists for people to get in. Living on the streets can also be dangerous if you don't know your way around.

If you go to the NW Burnside area you will see long lines of people waiting for these shelters and also food. It would probably take you quite a while to find a job and if you didn't have a premanent address, you wouldn't have an easy time of it. In other words, I don't think this would be something you would be happy in doing.

One thing you can do would be to contact various agencies like The Salvation Army or one of the other social service agencies to see what they have to say or offer you. But the best plan would be to find work where you are and save and then relocate if you still want to.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do. Stay safe.

Thank you. This is the information I was looking for. You have just painted a picture in my head of what homeless life in Portland is really like. And I can tell that despite me having the right intentions and being motivated my idea would ultimately result in failure. If I do go to Portland I need to have enough money to live off for at least 6th months.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by emathias

Being homeless is a trap that is very difficult to get out of. Voluntarily stepping into a trap when you have other options, even if those options aren't that exciting, would be extremely foolish, and detrimental to your physical and mental health.

Having known a number of people who have been homeless at various points in their lives (and some who, for all practical purposes still are), I can tell you that NO ONE who has been homeless comes out of it unscarred. It will scar you for life. It will reduce your ability to socialize normatively, which in turn reduces your chances of retaining meaningful employment.

Can you live through it and go on to live a non-homeless life? Yes. But I'd be willing to bet a fairly substantial sum of money that if you went through being homeless that anyone paying attention to you later in your life will be able to tell you were homeless, even if it's just because something about you seems slightly "off."

I don't mean this to denigrate people who have been homeless - it's a traumatic experience usually resulting from desperate circumstances outside of their control - but I also refuse to pretend like people who go through it come out the way they went in. They don't. They change, and nearly all of the changes are for the worse. Even when the changes don't directly affect their relationship to other people, the changes often negatively affect their relationship with themselves.

You do not want to voluntarily subject yourself to being homeless. Neither of your parents would ever want that for you. Them being dead doesn't give you the right to risk you life and wellbeing in ways that would distress them. Suck it up in Virgina for a while, but plan your next moves. Anyone can live for 2-3 years in some part of the U.S. that isn't their first choice. It's not like you'd be living in Bolivia or Tadzhikstan. Save money, network, get a job (or jobs), take classes at a community college or public trade school. In the long run, you'll be a lot better off and, who knows, maybe someday you'll even look back fondly on those few years in Virginia where you started laying a foundation for the rest of your life.

This especially. Speaking as one who came very, very close to becoming homeless some years ago, I can tell you even that can leave a scar. I will never forget how it felt to know it could have happened very easily.

To choose that life voluntarily is just not a wise thing to do.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by resident14

Thank you. This is the information I was looking for. You have just painted a picture in my head of what homeless life in Portland is really like. And I can tell that despite me having the right intentions and being motivated my idea would ultimately result in failure. If I do go to Portland I need to have enough money to live off for at least 6th months.

It looks like our last two posts got entered at the same time and I didn't see this one from you.

I am glad you are making this decision, you will not be sorry. Again, I wish you the best of luck.

[The Cactus Leaguer]

Originally Posted by resident14

^ I don't appreciate you making jokes, this thread is serious I am really thinking about moving to Portland and I would be homeless because I don't have any money. If you are not offering me useful information please close your mouth.

Look through recent threads and you will see Leisesturm's point... lots of recent topics that make you wonder if they are real or not. We have no idea if you are being real or not. My advice was (which you openly asked readers for) was based on the assumption that you are being real... but most rational people, once they are aware of the reality of the situation, would not willingly choose to become homeless.

[ramedud]

A wake-up call to everyone who's replying to this thread:

Have you ever sat down one day, thought about it and said to yourself, "I want to be homeless!"

Yeah, neither have I.


I call BS.


BIG TIME.

[resident14]

Did you even read what I wrote? I don't WANT to be homeless. I just want to move to Portland. I don't have any money so therefore I would be homeless.

[ramedud]

Originally Posted by resident14

Did you even read what I wrote? I don't WANT to be homeless. I just want to move to Portland. I don't have any money so therefore I would be homeless.

Yes. Exactly. I don't think we're splitting hairs here. You couldn't have said it better yourself.