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[–] 6 points 3 months ago* (1 child)

Do you find happiness and joy some days while being homeless?

How often do you worry about saftey?

Are you still able to see a doctor?

Whats the easiest way for you to get around?

Sorry Ive so many questions, last one, are you homeless by choice? Ive met some people in the past who were, for as long as youve been too.

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    [–] 6 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    How do you maintain hygiene? How much does it depend on the place you're in?

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    [–] 5 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    Thanks for doing this AMA! Since you mentioned having a nice break, I'd like to ask:

    Are you homeless by choice or necessity?

    Related: Have you turned down any opportunities that would lead you out of homelessness?

    And: Are you working to stay homeless or to stop being homeless? Or just going where fate takes you?

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Where will you go next? What kind of situation?

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    [–] 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (5 children)

    How do you choose where you’re going next and how long to stay? Mostly weather? Social groups? Resources?

    Edit: Also, how did you get into ham radio? That has always fascinated me.

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  • [+] [S] 3 points 2 months ago (3 children)
  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    Very cool! Great website. I checked it out quickly, but have it bookmarked to go back to in depth when I have more time. Seems like I should work on learning the military alphabet first!

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    [–] 4 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Q1: Some cities are designating enclosed areas with running water, toilets, and other city resources where people can pitch their own tents. Other cities are creating 'mini-homes.' What are your thoughts?

    Q2: If you were appointed the homeless 'czar,' what would you do?

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    [–] 3 points 2 months ago (7 children)

    You're a US veteran? Have you applied for HUD VASH? Are you in contact with SSVF?

    Have you considered relocating to a place with available housing vouchers?

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  • [+] [S] 3 points 2 months ago (6 children)
  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (5 children)

    I'm in Jacksonville, FL. Tunnels to Towers is pumping big money into veteran housing currently. The county and city had a lot of money when they passed the law to illegalize public sleeping/camping, and they had to put money into public housing as part of the law.

    I was on the waiting list for about a week before approval. Right place at the right time. A lottery indeed. They were housing vets left and right with basically no wait period.

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  • [+] [S] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (4 children)
  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    Yeah ssvf isn't going to give you long-term housing.

    HUD VASH will. I have a HCV(housing choice voucher) through the JHA(housing authority which is basically like HUD section 8) that I can potentially port anywhere in the country. Yeah that thing that usually takes 5+ years to get I got here in one week. :o

    With HCV I pay a certain portion of my income towards my rent that's never over a third. I've been in the program going on 2 years now. My current lease expires next summer. I'll probably be moving(porting to another city.) Jacksonville's way too damn big.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (5 children)

    Hello, thank you for the AMA. What is the biggest misconception that people who where never homeless have about homeless people?

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  • [+] [S] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (4 children)
  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    That's very interesting. Thank you.

    The situation are certainly different in France and the USA but over here opening a bank account requires an adress. So it never came to my mind that homeless people could use one. They must somehow... I am just not aware of those things.

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  • [+] [S] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)
  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    That's neat.

    It is very difficult to do paperwork in France if you don't have a "right" adresse. People often borrow friends adresses when applying for job in a city their don't live in. Student dorms are not considered permanent housing so young people who don't have a family adress notoriously struggle with paperwork. And immigrants face the challenge of breaking the infamous loop "no bank account = no lease, no adress = no bank account".

    The adress is considered a part of your identity so it is hard to do without.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (13 children)

    Im long term unemployed and I am wondering when I will be.

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  • [+] [S] 1 point 2 months ago (12 children)
  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (11 children)

    Its more a concern now as it really looks like employment at a level to meet the monthly nut is not going to happen. I have been getting some work which every bit staves off pulling from savings. I actually just looked into it and there appears to be a way to draw from ira's without the penalty if you commit to keep on doing it. Im going to look more into that as im not sure if it will be enough. Like everything its got crazy requirements and could interfere with other things. so no where near as bad as you just worried about it since im supporting my wife and really don't want to go homeless.

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  • [+] [S] 1 point 2 months ago (10 children)
  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (9 children)

    yeah I definatley keep ideas in the back of my head for long term while I do short term things. all the while hoping something comes up and it all becomes unnecessary.

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  • [+] [S] 1 point 2 months ago (8 children)
  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (7 children)

    I have one of those fireproof safes with important docs. need to do a review of it but hitting a lot of paperwork things for the next month or so. I should be able to go pretty far on savings if I go into the ira as im over 50. Ill be honest I have almost a phobia about trying to figure out for exactly how long. if I have to I will take the 10% penalty on the ira but im hoping not to since that is 10% less time it will last. what kinda sucks is I could get a phone call which would reverse everything (well not exactly reverse as I will be vulnerable to the same thing with less savings to deal with it. Honestly even if I get something decent im not sure I can save much in the next decade to get to where I was.)

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  • [+] [S] 1 point 2 months ago (6 children)
  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (5 children)

    yeah basically until all my retirement savings is down to the few thousand you can have max with ssi we can't get it for my wife who should more than qualify. heck I should with the depression.

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  • [+] [S] 1 point 2 months ago (4 children)
  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (3 children)

    yeah I noticed that. that is going to be the tricky part if it gets that far. can't go for it till you have something that won't even last a month.

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  • [+] [S] 1 point 2 months ago (2 children)
  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (1 child)

    yeah medical documentation sux to because its all over the place and we don't have a central thing as a society. So she has all sorts of scans showing her back things but nothing recent and she has ones for her brain tumor stuff. and then stuff for her hip and such. honestly I can't even keep track of her stuff and I think she likely does not. its comical all the stuff. I mean dark comical. Its sad because if we were smart we would get divorced and not give her anything and then go and do it but its hard to be a dispaionate vulcan in that way but that is how society wants us to act apparently.

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