*spin-off* Ever been homeless before?

[Duke Wy Lin]

Or do you know someone who's been homeless?

How did you/they end up in that situation? How did you/they get out?

 

[Unknown Poster]

Yeah, I have. It's kind of a triggering thing to think about years later and I still suffer from some PTSD from it but I'll tell my story (I was on here telling it when it happened back in 2015). I was going to write a book about my experience.

2015 I was living out of my car and homeless in NYC. I moved to NYC after graduating college with two degrees from Pitt in 2012 with a 3.9 GPA and went back to Pittsburgh to visit family after me and my roomates moved out of our apartment on 170 Harman Street.

I was in Pittsburgh from September to December of 2014. It was boring and the job prospects simply were non-existent for Black Men. I tried to find a job to make some money to go back to NYC with and there wasn't much...so rather than stay with such low job prospects and all of my friends gone...I decided to just take my luck in NYC since there was more opportunity there and all my friends and support system (currently) were there.

So New years 2014/2015 I drive up to Brooklyn to meet up with my friends at Bossa Nova Civic Club and slept that night in my car...I didn't give a fukk.
I still remember what is was like driving around in that freezing cold when It was snowing just to have enough heat in my car so I didn't freeze to death. Bundled myself up in the backseat with numerous blankets. I parked my car under the L Train bridge at the end of Wilson...there was a bodega there so I got myself food and drink. I had my laptop and everything so I would drive to the Burger King on Myrtle and Knickerbocker to look for jobs.

Eventually when I needed to shower and all that I would get a room at the YMCA. But that year I was in and out of sleeping in my car and sleeping at the YMCA and random hotels and sublets.

I crashed my car in later April of that year and didn't have anywhere to sleep...so I just stayed at the YMCA.

Eventually I busted my ass to get my life and health insurance license and ended up getting a job at Aflac at 14 wall street (which was insane) and used the money from that to get a sublet, then moved in with friends on 1380 Decatur.

 

[The Pledge]

Technically after college. My case was by choice though. I wasn't going back home so I moved across the country and couch surfed and/or sleep on someone's floor till I got a job.

I got food from church food pantries. shyt was rough.

 

[Unknown Poster]

BTW, I don't expect anybody to come in here OP.
Even though Black people make up almost HALF of the homeless population in America (despite being roughly 12.6% - 14% of the population)
Everybody on the coli is team 6 certs 6 figs 6 houses...
they gonna pretend like this thread doesn't exist until it goes off the first page

 

[Kings County]

Yeah, I have. It's kind of a triggering thing to think about years later and I still suffer from some PTSD from it but I'll tell my story (I was on here telling it when it happened back in 2015). I was going to write a book about my experience.

2015 I was living out of my car and homeless in NYC. I moved to NYC after graduating college with two degrees from Pitt in 2012 with a 3.9 GPA and went back to Pittsburgh to visit family after me and my roomates moved out of our apartment on 170 Harman Street.

I was in Pittsburgh from September to December of 2014. It was boring and the job prospects simply were non-existent for Black Men. I tried to find a job to make some money to go back to NYC with and there wasn't much...so rather than stay with such low job prospects and all of my friends gone...I decided to just take my luck in NYC since there was more opportunity there and all my friends and support system (currently) were there.

So New years 2014/2015 I drive up to Brooklyn to meet up with my friends at Bossa Nova Civic Club and slept that night in my car...I didn't give a fukk.
I still remember what is was like driving around in that freezing cold when It was snowing just to have enough heat in my car so I didn't freeze to death. Bundled myself up in the backseat with numerous blankets. I parked my car under the L Train bridge at the end of Wilson...there was a bodega there so I got myself food and drink. I had my laptop and everything so I would drive to the Burger King on Myrtle and Knickerbocker to look for jobs.

Eventually when I needed to shower and all that I would get a room at the YMCA. But that year I was in and out of sleeping in my car and sleeping at the YMCA and random hotels and sublets.

I crashed my car in later April of that year and didn't have anywhere to sleep...so I just stayed at the YMCA.

Eventually I busted my ass to get my life and health insurance license and ended up getting a job at Aflac at 14 wall street (which was insane) and used the money from that to get a sublet, then moved in with friends on 1380 Decatur.

damn how long did it take u to get the aflac job from the first day u were homeless?
how long were u homeless for ?

 

[Duke Wy Lin]

Yeah, I have. It's kind of a triggering thing to think about years later and I still suffer from some PTSD from it but I'll tell my story (I was on here telling it when it happened back in 2015). I was going to write a book about my experience.

2015 I was living out of my car and homeless in NYC. I moved to NYC after graduating college with two degrees from Pitt in 2012 with a 3.9 GPA and went back to Pittsburgh to visit family after me and my roomates moved out of our apartment on 170 Harman Street.

I was in Pittsburgh from September to December of 2014. It was boring and the job prospects simply were non-existent for Black Men. I tried to find a job to make some money to go back to NYC with and there wasn't much...so rather than stay with such low job prospects and all of my friends gone...I decided to just take my luck in NYC since there was more opportunity there and all my friends and support system (currently) were there.

So New years 2014/2015 I drive up to Brooklyn to meet up with my friends at Bossa Nova Civic Club and slept that night in my car...I didn't give a fukk.
I still remember what is was like driving around in that freezing cold when It was snowing just to have enough heat in my car so I didn't freeze to death. Bundled myself up in the backseat with numerous blankets. I parked my car under the L Train bridge at the end of Wilson...there was a bodega there so I got myself food and drink. I had my laptop and everything so I would drive to the Burger King on Myrtle and Knickerbocker to look for jobs.

Eventually when I needed to shower and all that I would get a room at the YMCA. But that year I was in and out of sleeping in my car and sleeping at the YMCA and random hotels and sublets.

I crashed my car in later April of that year and didn't have anywhere to sleep...so I just stayed at the YMCA.

Eventually I busted my ass to get my life and health insurance license and ended up getting a job at Aflac at 14 wall street (which was insane) and used the money from that to get a sublet, then moved in with friends on 1380 Decatur.

Damn. Imagine if you had wife and kids. At least you were a young man by yourself. Glad you made it out tho breh.

 

[Silkk]

Nah, Have nightmares about that shyt all the time tho.


I know a girl who’s been evicted like 4-5 times tho. bytch burn bridges & NEVER learns from her mistakes

 

[Canada Goose]

Living on the street homeless? No.


Living in a shelter homeless? Yes.

 

[Unknown Poster]

The one thing about being homeless I hated was just the waiting and trying to pass time.
And the stress and toll it takes on your whole everything...mind...body...soul.
Waking up and having to find something to do...then trying to find work.
Then trying to figure out where to sleep for the night.
I fell into a real deep depression.
When you're homeless, you feel like the most hated person in the world.
I still got a lot of resentment built up from then cause that made me realize how people (especially Americans, really are)
They don't even want to help you...they'd rather you just die off or go away instead of making them uncomfortable.
A friend of mine I knew from grade school REFUSED to help me out with even $5 dollars even when he had a cushy office job making a salary.
That was the end of our already strained friendship.
And he told me not to call him and talk about stuff like that, and talk about something else.
He really revealed himself to be a fake.

Certain situations show you who's down and who's not.
With that said, I have to thank the friends of mine who held me down when I was struggling.

I didn't even tell anybody I was homeless...I was so ashamed. I felt completely villified. Dehumanized.
But it also hit me with the reality of how America does NOT give one single FFUUCk about Black People. Especially Africans.
So many people just saw me as just another homeless & mentally ill Black man the amount of people that just avoided even interacting with me when I was just doing NOTHING but trying to find work or pass the time when I was looking down and out...it never leaves.

At one point I legit felt like jumping off the Williamsburg Street bridge.
Homeless in NYC, getting discriminated against for jobs that I needed to make money, two useless degrees from Pitt.
It felt like I was failed by so many people. There probably wasn't any lower I could go.

To this day, I kind of admit, those situations built me up to become a tougher individual...a smarter individual...a better individual mind you...cause I knew I had to depend on myself.

 

[⠀X ⠀]

Yeah. I stayed with my aunt for a while. I probably would have stayed in my car if I had one at the time. Felt like a failure, having to move back in with her and her family, after doing ok for years.

 

[Unknown Poster]

damn how long did it take u to get the aflac job from the first day u were homeless?
how long were u homeless for ?

It took 2 months.
There was the certification tests and everything with the state of New York. and that was online with J&D Banker software,
Then after I got certified, I got the job. And then I was a certified Life & health insurance agent peddling group employment insurance plans to small businesses.

I made enough money from the AFlac job to start a pop up boutique as a hustle then used the rest to get a palce.
I deadass did it all in the dining room of the Burger King on Myrtle and Knickerbocker.
I even used the bathroom there to change into my suit to take the J train to go to Wall Street
I was homeless for 8 months total

but that was one of my biggest wake up calls ever. Thank god I ain't down bad like that!@

 

[Big Mountain Hélà]

Homeless don’t always mean sleeping on the street, you can be couch surfing or between places/jobs and haven’t been able to set your feet.
so technically you can be homeless but realistically you just haven’t found your home yet

 

[KFBF]

I've seen distant cousins deteriorate on the street from drugs and homelessness.

 

[⠀X ⠀]

I was watching this the other day. He documented his journey from homelessness to millionaire

 

[Big Mountain Hélà]

Salute to anyone going thru it now and don’t want to speak on it.
It’s not easy figuring shyt out when it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and no help, but you got to stay strong.
You gonna be alright…….you got no choice but to be