As many of my readers know, I come from humble beginnings. My husband and I were homeless and living in a tent for four years while I worked on my undergraduate degrees, and only last July (2023), finally got into stable housing. What does it mean to be homeless? How does one end up that way? I cannot speak for others, only for myself. Come with me as I describe my experience.
Our story begins in 2014, when my daughter and I lost our home of 13 years after an injury at work, which led to the loss of my job and, eventually, our home. Rather than drag her along as I couch-surfed, I sent her to live with friends. I had no idea the housing market was as bad as I soon discovered it was, having lived in our home for so many years. Finding a new place was virtually impossible. I ended up answering an ad on Craigslist to rent a room in someone else’s home, which was nothing short of a nightmare. Reunited with my daughter after a long summer apart, we moved into a stranger’s home.
For reasons we won’t discuss, this arrangement only lasted eight months, at which point my daughter and I had to separate again.
Let’s jump ahead a few years to 2019. I was in school, living in Northern California, but had to return to Oregon for my studies. I knew in advance that I would have no place to live, but I wanted to finish my degree. I packed my things, grabbed my dog, and hitchhiked back to Oregon, where I was born and raised and where my daughter was. I only missed one school day, the first day of the Fall term. I sent my dog to stay with the family housing my child, pitched a tent, and settled in for the long haul. My husband, whom I met in California, followed me up a week later.
Having never braved the winter in a tent, we spent that first one in a shelter, an experience I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
The ins and outs of Living in a Shelter
For those who don’t know, a shelter is typically a large room with rows of bunk beds and 50 to 70 people you don’t know who are all in the same boat. Some have pets, some are couples, many work, and a handful do drugs, but most are decent people just trying to get back on their feet. It is loud, and you can’t guarantee that your bunk-mate is your spouse (if you have one there, like I did). There is a curfew, staff to enforce it, and a bedtime (9 pm, like it or not). There will be the sound of snoring and coughing and people up and down all night to use the restroom. To get any semblance of “quality” sleep, I recommend the use of earplugs or headphones. Music will become your best friend and is the only thing that will drown out the sounds of the long night.
Since space is limited, your possessions will be limited as well. A trick I learned is to roll your clothes into “logs.” This compacts your clothing, allowing you to fit more into your storage space, drawer, backpack, or wherever you keep such things. This keeps your area tidy and ensures you pass daily inspections while making it more difficult for people to steal your favorite shirt.
Another tip is to always ensure you have a “bug-out kit” packed and ready to go. Include essentials like one or two changes of clothes, extra socks and underwear, a flashlight and batteries, a small tent and sleeping bag, a knife, bungee cords, at least one tarp, a bowl and spoon, a can opener, and toilet paper. You can always add more things if room permits, but at the very least, have the items I mentioned because you never know when you might find yourself out on the street.
“While there are many drivers of modern-day homelessness, it is largely the result of failed policies; severely underfunded programs that have led to affordable housing shortages; wages that do not keep up with rising rents and housing costs; inadequate safety nets; inequitable access to quality health care (including mental health care), education, and economic opportunity; and mass incarceration. In effect, more than half of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and one crisis away from homelessness.”
~ United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
The Facts of the Matter
Employment does not guarantee housing. Having a job does not guarantee housing. Recent studies show that as many as 40%-60% of America’s homeless have jobs but can’t afford current housing prices. It is estimated that for every 100 low-income renters in the U.S., there are a mere 37 affordable homes, each with a reasonably long waitlist. I can tell you from personal experience that it took me and my husband four years to reach the top of the list and get into a place.
Albeit grateful to be out of the tent we called home for years, we have now joined the 70% of American households who currently spend more than half of their income on rent and are just one unexpected crisis and expense away from returning to the streets.
The unhoused don’t go out of their way to live outside in tents or cars: Contrary to popular belief, homelessness generally stems from economic issues such as loss of a job (as was my case). According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, on a given night in Jackson County, Oregon (where we live), 1,251 people were homeless in 2022, an increase of 125% from 2007. Of these, only 40% had an available bed in the local shelter, leaving 587 people (including me and my husband) outside. If it weren’t for urban camping, we would have been sleeping in parks, or wherever else we could hole up along with the rest of these unfortunates.
Did we go out of our way to live in a tent? No. But living in a tent certainly was better than sleeping in a doorway for everyone to see. Our tent and stealthy lifestyle made being homeless more bearable and provided us with enough stability for me to finish my undergraduate studies and get into graduate school, which would have been impossible without a “permanent” location we could call home.
If You Must Be Homeless, Be Smart
(Life doesn’t have to end here)
What is Urban Camping?
Urban camping, as I call it, involves camping within city limits. To be successful, don’t camp in plain sight; be stealthy.
Choosing a campsite: Choose a spot off the beaten path away from others. Don’t move into an abandoned camp. Abandoned camps are most likely known by law enforcement and monitored. Get yourself a few tools and clear a new spot on the outskirts of town. It will take some elbow grease and commitment, but it will be worth it in the long run.
Choose a spot that isn’t too close to a spring or creek. You never know when adverse weather might lead to unexpected flooding. Flooding is terrible on countless levels, especially if it happens while you are sleeping. Trust me when I tell you you never want to wake up to it.
Don’t use fire: Fire and smoke attract attention, which you do not want. NEVER use fire. Not to clear your campsite. Not for warmth. Not to cook. Just don’t do it.
Walking: Be prepared to do a lot of hiking. The best spots are off the beaten track for a reason. The whole point of all of this is to make a home for yourself. The only way I was able to be homeless and stillgo to school, do homework, and live in one place was to ensure I had a permanent location where I could leave my belongings.
Get a cart or wagon: A good cart or wagon is an excellent investment. A cart lets you bring provisions like food, camping gear, and anything else you want to camp without fear of discovery and little hassle. Unlike a noisy shopping cart, which attracts unwanted attention from law enforcement, other homeless people, and “stand-up” members of society, a cart is quiet and inconspicuous and, best of all, can go off trail. Having a cart makes ALL the difference and makes an already stressful situation a little easier to handle.
Don’t be afraid to use public transportation. Taking the bus when possible will get you to appointments. I took the bus to school in Ashland several days a week after the pandemic ended so I could attend classes. Never let not having a car be a deterrent to going to school, work, or doctor’s appointments.
Get a smartphone: If you don’t already have a smartphone, invest in one. You can use the hotspot on your phone for an internet connection. I used my hotspot to attend classes and submit homework assignments for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was just fine. Maintaining phone service is crucial if you are homeless. Never allow yourself to be without a phone. A smartphone serves as your means of entertainment, access to the internet, alarm clock, safety rope to society, and, if needed, help. A lot can happen when you are vulnerable, and nothing is more vulnerable than being homeless.
Get a generator: If you were wise in your choice of locations, you can operate a generator without fear of theft or discovery. Having a generator was what made our camping experience possible. Getting it to our campsite was a challenge, as was packing in gas cans, but having one made all the difference in the world. This is one of those times you will be grateful you invested in a cart.
Since using fire is the worst thing an urban camper can do, having a generator allows you to cook, charge electronics, enjoy light in the evening, and feel like you are still a part of society. I would not have been able to accomplish the things I was able to achieve without one. Also, the few times law enforcement did stumble across us, we weren’t harassed about having it.
Disposing of garbage. DO NOT leave garbage around your campsite. Use the cart you invested in and haul it off to the nearest dumpster. Keeping your campsite neat and garbage-free is crucial. Garbage attracts unwanted pests such as insects, rodents, and raccoons, the presence of which makes an already stressful situation that much worse. Not to mention the fact that garbage stinks and poses health risks. Should you be visited by law enforcement, having a clean campsite free of garbage will make a difference in whether or not they boot you out or leave you alone.
Remember: your campsite is your home, so treat it as such. Just because your domicile is a tent doesn’t mean you must live like an animal. Take pride in your home. Keep it clean. Stay up on repairs. Maintain it as you would a house or apartment.
Disposing of human waste: Face it, you have all been wondering about how we handle human waste. A friend gifted us a potty chair, a game-changer. A potty chair and a 5-gallon bucket make a great toilet. When filled, take the shovel you should have invested in when acquiring the necessary tools to clear your site, dig a hole, and bury your waste. This is a must. DO NOT leave waste lying around like a dog. You are still a human being, so act like one. Make a toilet, and bury your waste.
Tarps: Investing in multiple tarps for your tent must be one of the first things you do when setting up your campsite. Thick tarps tightly secured over your tent are the first defense against possible death from cold, wind, rain, and more. Without good tarps, you will not survive the elements. Tarps allow you to enjoy the warmth of a camp heater, which is a necessity when camping during the winter months. Tarps keep your belongings dry. Tarps prevent people from seeing any lights you might use at night.
Being homeless is expensive: Since you have no refrigeration, you find yourself buying more prepared foods than you would if housed. Food is expensive.
Camping gear is expensive. When I tell you we lived in a tent, I am not talking about a pup tent. Granted, we started in one that was barely big enough for the two of us to sleep in, but over time, we made our way up to a tent large enough to walk around in and for me to have an office area (including a desk, office chair, and so forth). Such an upgrade was costly and had to be planned and budgeted for. We replaced numerous tents from start to finish, not to mention buying and replacing multiple air mattresses. These costs add up but are a must if you find yourself camping for an unknown period and wish to do so as comfortably as possible.
There is also the cost of tarps, the cart you can’t live without, the generator, gas cans, gas, a propane tank for the heater you will want to invest in for the cold winter months, storage bins to keep your clothing in, warm bedding, and tools. And these items are just the essentials. Suffice it to say being homeless is no picnic. It can, however, be bearable if you are smart and do it right.
After Thought
On April 22, 2024, the Supreme Court will hear a case, The City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, the verdict of which can potentially make being homeless illegal and punishable as a criminal offense. In our county alone, at minimum, there are around 600 people every single day who have nowhere to go. Housing prices are insane, even in affordable housing units (like ours), and wait lists are as long as four years (if not longer). Homeless rates continue to increase as rents go up and wages stay the same, creating more households who can no longer afford to keep a roof over their heads. However, the number of available housing units or temporary shelter beds remains unchanged. If proceedings end unfavorably on the 22nd, anyone who is unhoused will face criminal charges and incarceration just for being homeless in a community that refuses to solve the problem by providing enough housing (which means building enough units so that everyone can have one).
Reference Materials
- State of Homelessness: 2023 Edition – endhomelessness.org; SOH: State and CoC Dashboards – National Alliance to End Homelessness
- The Realities of Being Homeless in America – UAB Institute for Human Rights Blog
- Homelessness | U.S. GAO
- Homelessness Data & Trends | United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (usich.gov)
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