Person Shares 21 Tips On How To Prepare For Being Homeless In America

567,715 people, which makes seventeen out of every 10,000, had experienced homelessness on a typical night in January 2019, according to HUD’s Annual Point-in-Time Count. The number makes up more residents than some rural states.

Meanwhile, a recent study showed that pandemic-induced crises in the economy, unemployment, and housing market could lead to a 45% spike in overall homelessness within 1 year. Living without a home is now a real threat to many Americans, and as hard as it is to talk about this problem, one person stood up and shared practical tips on surviving homelessness.

“I cannot tell you how it hurts me to have to write this,” the man who has lived without shelter and had to car camp at some point in his life said in the honest post on Imgur. He then proceeded to list all the know-how useful for anyone who may ever find themselves in this stressful situation.

HUD’s Point in Time (PIT) count is the most widely used measure to identify the number of homeless people in the US. However, it’s believed that the PIT count’s number of 567,715, referring to the homeless people on a single night in January, doesn’t represent the whole picture.

First of all, The National Coalition for the Homeless points out that the PIT count doesn’t count individuals who became homeless recently and who are staying in supportive housing. According to Bloomberg CityLab, this population added up to 503,473 in 2017 and pushed the total count of homeless people in the US above 1 million.

Secondly, PIT Count takes place in January, which is believed to suppress the results, because people deliberately use any sources they can to find shelter during the coldest months of the year.

And thirdly, PIT Count doesn’t account for people who are in constant danger of losing any shelter as they rely on friends, relatives, sleeping in cars, and the good will of others.