I know I will get downvoted to shit for this, but I honestly think most Americans have a poor relationship with money.

I grew up poor in Eastern Europe. When I came to the US in one of those work&travel programs, I was shocked people were sooo bad with their finances. I had a lot of financial responsibility because I grew up poor but most people did not have such a thing over there.

Are you trolling, not in the US, or from the past?

In plenty of big cities, you'll see 6 people share a 1-bedroom apartment. Price can be $500 each. These places are terrible, but they are cheap.

Example 1: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/01/nyregion/overcrowding-wor...

Example 2: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/23/nyregion/base...

In plenty of big cities, that is nominally illegal.

No, I'm not trolling and I live in the US. What part of the specifics do you take issue with?

I'll bite!

>>You can get an apartment for $500. Health Insurance is $30, utilities $200

Right off the bat, you're not "getting an apartment for $500." MAYBE you can find someone trustworthy who can rent you a bedroom for $500/month in some cities but:

As of 2020, monthly rent averaged $1,164 nationwide; median rent is $1,104.

-- https://ipropertymanagement.com/research/renting-statistics

Only 7% of US counties have 1-bedroom apartments affordable on the prevailing minimum wage.

-- https://reports.nlihc.org/oor

Also, you need first month's rent ($500), security deposit ($500-$1000), utility deposit ($50 - $500), and sometimes last month's rent ($500).

So now we're talking a few grand. Better hope you spent the past three months working that guaranteed-40-hours/week minimum wage job without spending a single penny of your wages!

I also hope that your job is very close to your new apartment because you're going to need to spend a LOT of time chasing all the benefits that you seem to think are easily handed out and you don't have money for transit. Nope, you can't afford to take a whole day off work to wait in line for a free transit pass -- after all, you're going to spend $700 of this month's $900 income on housing and utilities!

At least make up numbers from this century if you're going to pull this Horatio Alger stuff :-)

That's how I feel, I've been in the exact situation. 0 dollars, maxed CC and evicted with like 10 days left on my phone plan.

I say this without judgement, but it's very possible that the OP isn't able to hold down a job: not through any fault of their own, but because employment is extremely narrow in what it can accommodate. As they clearly state, they're able to get a job but unable to keep one: your suggestion, while probably meant to be helpful, isn't very helpful when the world of employment is out of reach to a lot of people, not because they lack the skills, but because employers don't care to accommodate people.

For what it's worth, I'd be completely incapable of handling a minimum wage job.

> they're able to get a job but unable to keep one

(Genuine Q) if someone were to provide a home, would they be able to keep that?

I'm struggling to find an article I read years ago (feel sure it was somewhere at theguardian.com) in which it was proposed that just providing houses wouldn't all by itself "fix" homelessness.

If you literally can't hold down a job you can get disability, but I think if you are able to live in a car you can get a job. There is such a wide variety of jobs and this guy says he wrote a book. You can make more than minimum wage right now, just writing posts on your phone.

Aside from the minimum wage income, no other number you said is remotely in line with reality.

That's not true at all. Those are absolutely real numbers. Cheapest ACA plans with income of $13k is $20 and no deductible. Lots of Apartments for $500 or less all over US. Check Zillow, which is a poor representative.

Your minimum wage number goes over the $13k income.

>Check Zillow

There's literally zero matches for rents under $500 in LA County.

13k isn't a cut off, it doesn't change much. If your are in California medi-cal would be free anyway, and the minimum wage would be much higher.

But...don't live in LA county... Or even California, the options are not either be homeless or live in the most expensive place in the US.

What city are you getting a $500 apartment in, and what health insurance plan is $30?

Shitty, illegal apartments, likely with 5+ roommates.

In New York City: Example 1: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/01/nyregion/overcrowding-wor... Example 2: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/23/nyregion/base...

> What city are you getting a $500 apartment in

Probably possible with a roommate. Still possible without, but rarer. I’ve seen dirt cheap one rooms available (think like $350/m) in middle of nowhere Utah. In certain cities, you can even live in the city, for maybe a little more than $500. I’ve seen them for example, in Des Moines.

I wouldn’t necessarily blanket any region, as as you drill down, you find that some places where’s you’d expect cheaper housing don’t have it because of whatever local bureaucracy is preventing it.

The cheapest ACA plans with $13000 income are $20-$30. So regular insurance. There are apartments all over for $500 or less. Search Zillow, there are far more though if you look on Facebook or just walk around an area and collect signs. Obviously it's not going to be the nicest spot, but most any college town will have lots of nice places for around $500.

The average Apartment in California is over $3000. If there is anything that is 500, it will be worse than a tent.

It's not worse than a tent / car, and you don't need to stay in California. Although there are spots for less than $500, even in CA.

No, that's an average luxury apartment or 2 bedroom regular apartment. If you're working a minimum wage job you can live with roommates. You can absolutely find a shared room with 1 other person for $900/mo (OP's $7.25 assumption is wrong as minimum wage in LA is $16.04/h = $2500/mo fulltime). In California you would also qualify for MediCal which is completely free, including 0 copay.

>The average Apartment in California is over $3000

In the Bay Area or L.A.; not the other 90% of CA.

Probably leave california. They'll even give you a bus ticket for free.

I am from Missouri USA and collecting help is frowned upon due to our Libertarian lean. As far as jobs go, whenever I have a project or a job I short term rent or house share. My reporting is that of actual street boot stompin and witnessing. I got accepted to a housing program but got mugged by a hotel and repeats the trauma cycle of abuse.

I mean that's like a personal issue I would assume being homeless is frowned up as well?

> am from Missouri USA and collecting help is frowned upon due to our Libertarian lean.

Why? I thought charitable work/donations were a libertarian talking point against social welfare and related programs

I dont really know what "their" talking points are I am just saying what is and isnt culturally accepted round here. I guess being independent and to provide for yourself are big ideals and sometimes these laws cultures and customs prevent that. I prescribe to no political ideology.

if he do not have address, he can't get a job

I agree with you. But I think some people are so sick of hearing about $400k salaries and those people complaining of a pay cut since inflation outpaced their $15k raise in 2022 that they might be "fighting the system" by living in tents next to rich people making $415k.

That may be, but I didn't get that from the OP.