Head Off Homelessness/Bounce Back from Life on the Streets - 8 Things to Do

The post on Reddit headlines with:

"I'm so scared of being homeless again"

That is the meme of this new order of things. 

Recently homelessness has increased by 18.1%. On the average, the cost of an apartment is $1326 a month. Those LCOL (low cost of living) areas such as Arizona are no longer so LCOL. In that state rent is up 20%. There the average rent in Tucson is $966. The aging had flocked there. Meanwhile the average Social Security monthly check is less than $1800.

The good news - and responders to the Reddit post provide it - is that homelessness can be prevented. I add that there can be a bounce-back to your own housing after a run of homelessness. Here's what you can do:

Grab the work that's available. Forget your former career path. Don't even talk about it. Nostalgia for the good old days is an emotion you can't afford. In demand are personal care workers including for pets, healthcare, customer service, leasing agents, school bus drivers who are flexible and substitute teachers. 

Search for "housing included." That's available for nannies, handymen, homecare aides, nursing home attendants, property managers and more. 

Check out subsidized housing. You may be eligible. The waiting list in some unpopular areas such as small midwestern towns might not be long. 

Hit the road in a cheap van, like Fern in "Nomadland." Or. just develop survival skills, as Bob Wells teaches. Clients tell me that their children in HCOL (high cost of living) areas such as Seattle have ditched apartment-living and now bunk in vans. Those can be stationary or made for mobile use. Shower at the gym.

Get certifications/licenses. Usually there are loans available. This can be the start of a way to earn a good living. A commercial driving license, for local or national, can be an investment that pays off. In demand is substance-abuse counseling. 

Start a small business. That can be as simple as dumpster-diving for whatever and hawking the merchandise at flea markets and on Craigslist/Next Door. Or it can be online for a niche within a niche product or service. 

Co-live. That means renting a room and sharing common areas. If you provide a skill such as landscaping or professional cleaning you could get a discount on rent. Co-living is projected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 7.5% between 2025 and 2033. This circles back to the boarding houses of another era. In addition to cheap, it offers community. 

Take Social Security early. This can make financial sense if you have health issues. Sure, there's a reduction in your monthly payment compared to what you would have received had you waited until the age for full benefits. But it's income. It can keep a roof over your head.

Life, as we've all known it, has changed. Darkness can fall fast. 

That can happen even in those elite career paths such as being a junior lawyer in Big Law firms such as Kirkland & Ellis, Skadden or Paul Weiss. The average student loan debt is about $130,000. If you lose that good job it could be impossible to land a comparable one right now with the glut of legal talent resulting from federal layoffs. During the 2008 -2009 global downturn I guided terminated young lawyers for how to get survival jobs. At that time their monthly nut on student loans was $700.

Is the life you’ve known collapsing? As your intuitive career coach/tarot reader I guide you to what could be next. One door closes, another one can open. Free confidential consultation. If we work together, fees are what you can afford. To connect: Jane Genova (text/phone 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com). In-person and remote.