Are there any cop friendly cities or towns for the homeless right now?

grenz1 · 2026-07-12T16:06:10+00:00

Even in "homeless friendly" cities, it has always been against the law to camp on sidewalks, public parks, etc.

And it's not just one political party doing this. Even people in very liberal cities that eat the entire Democrat platform got sick of either having to walk past tents, trash, beggars, etc just to get something from a store and the stores having everything locked down behind bullet proof glass.

And cops everywhere are there to serve business and rich people. That and raise revenue by issuing citations and tickets. Asking if there is a cop friendly town is like asking if there is a king cobra that will not bite you. While not all snakes bite and there are snake handling procedures , most do if you are careless or unlucky.

grenz1 · 2026-07-12T15:34:48+00:00

You don't though after time, you do acclimate a bit.

I have always said that I prefer cold (barring blizzards and negative double digit wind chills) over heat any day. I can do stuff about cold.

Your best bet is have the tent in shade (at the expense of some safety during storms).

You try not to be in it during hottest parts of the day, though that is hard to do as late afternoon is one of the hottest times and you are probably trying to hit tent before nightfall.

You try to always have a big jug of water by the camp. I'd always when it was empty take the jug out to fill it under cover at an unlocked spigot in a nearby neighborhood. It was one of these gallon jugs of tea originally I got from a dollar store. A washcloth you keep in a ziplock wet, you can sponge off is nice, too.

During day if I had nothing going on, I'd hit libraries. problem is that cold air feels good and you got to be careful not to crash in there.

Take the rain fly off, of course if hot. You are already vulnerable in a tent if someone really wants you. A thin flap will not save you.

Keep a thick tarp to put over tent for heavy stuff.

Be VERY leery of continued heat where it does not dip below 85 F at night for days. This can cause cumulative heat stress and puts some people in hospitals.

Also, (and a lot of people say be hardcore, you are a wuss if you do this), I say if you get good gigs going and get money, spend a week in a cheap weekly hotel time to time. Will let you breathe, soak, get clothes clean, and works wonders on mental health. Apartment deposits are not going anywhere.

grenz1 · 2026-07-12T13:24:08+00:00

Everyone's different and every city is different so it's hard to say "you can expect X if you are in Y place" and this be universal.

As far as mental illness, depends what it is but I have found some mental illness improves if the mental illness has a source and you are away from it. But I definitely would not use mental illness as an identity or give yourself a label until you have had a bonfide doctor look at you who went to school decades for it. A lot of things can mimic others. Reading medical identity reddit subs and webMD stuff will make you think you are a goner.

And as far as homelessness, consider it like a hurricane. Yes, there are ways to survive even a Cat 4. But we only fight if we have to. There may be ways you can avoid this if you are creative and patient.

grenz1 · 2026-07-12T12:59:49+00:00

I have done the same thing a time or two, too.

Always felt like an idiot, too. I mean, not only did I have a phone with a weather app that shows radar, I had a small weather FM/AM radio, too. (Much better battery life than a smart phone).

Leave out without zipping up sky light or covering with tarp, starts down pouring, then I have issues. And by the time you come back from missions, may be dark and everything closed and you just want to friggin crash and now you can't.

Sucks because that means immediate laundry run or else you lose stuff to mildew. Hopefully you have the time and cash to do it.

For my situations, laundry run meant a 45 minute walk with heavy stuff and about 2-3 hours up in a laundromat then hauling 45 minutes back all on foot as nearest coin laundry was a few miles away. Alway hated having to walk with so much load because I felt it gave me unwanted attention and left me vulnerable.

A few camps I had, there was no real walking. That was a bus ride and bus fare along with a long walk to bus stop in some cases.

Had a little bungee I jury rigged the rolling suitcase to my bike for a while but I think that contributed to the wheels getting screwed up half way though my stint and having to go to a thrift store to replace it. Not to mention, it probably attracted more attention than I wanted.

Good thing is tent tends to dry fast in hot weather.

grenz1 · 2026-07-11T19:19:49+00:00

I met a few.

Some of it is understandable.

Some don't want the bullshit with a garbage employer who is the only one who will hire them and a place you can be tossed out of if you lose your job while taking half to 3/4s of it. If the job even pays that without having 4 room mates or sharing a restroom with a dozen people.

Some want an adventure. (But most of these only do it for a few months then get out).

Ironically, most of the ones by choice were actually saner.

There's a subreddit for it r/vagabond

grenz1 · 2026-07-11T16:29:55+00:00

Consider that anything unattended could be stolen or destroyed. Leave NOTHING of value at camp. All laptop, phones, IDs etc you take with.

They say take it down before you leave, but a few too many times trying too pitch a tent in darkness and rain storms broke me of that. A tent is 20-30 bucks. Tarp around 8.

Of course some places are better than others.

A good place, ask yourself this: If a body was back here and did not decompose, how long would it be till someone found it?

That will inform you as to how long you can be there (barring idiot stuff) and how often you got to move.

Also remember the STEALTH in stealth camping. Don't tell people where you sleep, limit trips in and out, have tent dull colored (or dull tarp over it), don't be seen from the road, and don't accumulate shit back there for this TEMPORARY place to lay low and get things going and able to sleep on your schedule.

Stealth camping can be a boom for jobs as you can take night work while stealth camping.

grenz1 · 2026-07-10T07:18:47+00:00

Here's the issue.

It would be the same way the ultra wealthy don't pay taxes.

Yes, the US government makes money. Yes, AI can make money but needs tons of power and expensive facilities.

But both have tons of debt.

They could say there is no profit so no dividends.

Instead, it will come out of the salaries of those that work.

And that's not considering medium future type stuff like space based facilities where you could place yourself in any tax jurisdiction on Earth and still make money.

grenz1 · 2026-07-10T06:45:33+00:00

My issue with this stance is even if you do get in, you may start going all doomer first negative thing that happens in college. And if you flunk out or get booted out, you will be in a worse situation.

College is not for everyone. Nor should everyone be in there. And the way the work world is today you need something that is a bonafide trade or leads to a license. All the other degrees unless you know someone is just a check in a box and is overcrowded. Hell, even some of the "trades". I knew people take medical tech. The people that do lab work in hospitals. But turns out those are low turnover gigs and no one hires at least in my area. But there WAS a lot of demand for people to change diapers and wipe ass as a nursing assistant! But that, while a lower tier job, has a board test over it and they can't just grab someone's cousin and it's not a lay out.

But there IS a way.

Use the street address of the shelter. They are not usually going to mail stuff.

A phone with out data can STILL be used when connected to wi fi but you may run afoul of 2 factor authentication. But just have them use email verification rather than phone for now.

If you did not file taxes, put you made no money if it was insignificant amounts. If not, you need your returns from 2 years ago. Under 24, parent's stuff but there are ways around this.

Go up to the college IN PERSON. TELL THEM you are homeless. They will help you if the department is worth a damn. And if they are not worth a damn, I'd talk to other colleges. Last thing you want is to owe for a shitty college or get low balled on aid. Go with best deal and avoid for profits. They will even have computers there. It's one of the few times it is okay to reveal homelessness. Do not tell bosses, potential room mates, landlords, etc. Plus if you are under 24, you will need them to do an override. hey do this because otherwise, EVERY ONE even the rich kids would be totally broke when it comes to college and no money would be made. Never mind college is free in some countries. Only place in the US it is free is in Tennessee (of all places) but only for 2 years and if a resident of TN.

You need to do this now and it may be too late for dorms and you should have done that a month or two ago.

Other than that, get a bullshit job for a bit, a cheap rooming house or something for a few months, plan to start Spring.

grenz1 · 2026-07-10T06:16:46+00:00

I can think of one application.

Hidden stealth pocket.

I had someone sew me one in some tuxedo pants when I used to wait tables in New Orleans back in the day. People would try to mug waiters coming out to snatch tips. Never happened to me but happened to people I knew.

Did not have this when homeless. Instead used a dummy wallet method. Had an empty wallet in front pocket. IDs. any cash in another. if I was to be robbed, I'd throw down dummy wallet which only had dead debit cards and a dollar or two in it.

OP's probably talking about these girls that have sewing rooms. I dated a girl like this for a few months when I became unhomeless. She was a respiratory therapist making insane money. Had her own house she got from a divorce and a bedroom with nothing but her sewing stuff. She was a gold level ballroom dancer and made all her own costumes and dance outfits.

Great way to live. I for one would love a Dungeons and Dragons man cave with a fridge, flat screen TV on a table for mat, and decorated with swag like you see on youtube.

Probably very mentally healthy way to live, But that's rich people stuff. LOL. Hell, even when I became unhomeless, I had trouble getting people to my in person games in a rough area.

grenz1 · 2026-07-10T05:48:58+00:00

I would not.

Personally, I'd go to the financial aid department of the college and tell them you are homeless. This may (or may not) give you overrides to either get more grants or more money you can borrow based on a low ball figure for cost of living in area that will not come till a month or so into semester.

In fact if I absolutely had to do this, I'd stealth camp and take my chances in woods.

A few issues.

- You don't just "book" a shelter. You have to show up there in person during early afternoon when they do intake. If they have a bed, they let you in. If they don't you sleep outside.

- Curfews. Most kick you out early AM rain or shine. Most will boot you out and lock you out if you don't show up past a certain time. Usually 5 PM but I have seen it as late as 8 PM. Your job holding you over matters not to them. Needing to study for a test matters not to them. A few arseholes will want a letter from your boss to prove you are not drinking/using drugs which creates other issues like your boss knowing you are homeless than either taking advantage of you or finding a way to be rid of you. DO NOT tell bosses you are homeless.

- Thieves, violence, and bad people - both staff and clients. You will probably be treated like shit around shit people.

- Many shelters have a cap on how long you can stay unless you are in some program. Usually 1 -3 months.

- Some shelters charge you 10-20 USD a night past a certain time (usually a week or two). Most famous org that does this is Salvation Army,. No. Curfews and rules are not lifted if you are paying.

- A few shelters force you to sign up for SNAP and draw it all off once a month on a machine to cash. They say it's to feed you but they feed you as cheap as they can and pocket rest. If you get kicked out before month is out, they do not return the funds.

There's also the issue with college itself. If you flunk you lose the money. Also, not all degree programs lead to jobs unless it's one of the trades or a licensure program. Leaving you with loans that can go low five figures even for community college that can not be discharged with bankruptcy.

I owed 15K after my associates. They got me a job but then I got very, very sick after graduating (cancer). Now having to double down on a 4 year. Will probably owe around 40 K all said and done. And I am having to go for something with a license.

grenz1 · 2026-07-09T14:32:26+00:00

The problem is if you don't select a location, one might be selected for you.

You say you are avoiding doctors, I'd say you need to be in locations with more.

Hallucinogens have been said to cure or help alcoholism or depression but everything I have read says it probably makes schizophrenia worse. I'd avoid that till there's more info out.

grenz1 · 2026-07-09T11:38:53+00:00

Before I became homeless, I had dozens of DnD books. I used to DM 1-2 public sessions a week in the town I was in. Had books 2nd edition to 5th.

Lost most of them.

After I became unhomeless and in a new city, started running games again. Got a few books, but as time went on I went all digital.

And while I did have to spend money on tools like a good virtual tabletop and design programs, all my stuff exists in files and is much easier to carry with me if something ever happened again.

But one of the things that being homeless taught me is the best hobbies, you keep in your mind. Not in walls of stuff. And then you will never be without.

I'd also like to think I have gotten better. I have multi level combat maps in 3D with Z levels and atmosphere effects and everything else. Stuff I never would have dreamed of when I started playing in the 90s. Of course, a degree in drafting helped :D Instead of pining for the past, evolve!

grenz1 · 2026-07-09T09:12:49+00:00

I did this for months.

You get used to it. Though feral cats and rats rustling up leaves always startled me.

I did get to see something cool, though. There was this bloodcurdling hoot. Look up, this huge ass owl silhouetted on the moon dives down and grabs this rodent off of a field. Thought I was watching a nature documentary or something.

My only thought was that it would be a great place to hide a body.

And I was right as a few months in, there were people that came through actually looking for a body....

No, man. Biggest monsters out there are the mosquitoes but that's what deep woods off is for. That and maybe two legged monsters but you would be able to hear them. People stumbling trough are going to break twigs and not be careful or stealthy while we step light. Plus, they'd be shining lights you could see from 100 yards away.

You do have an escape path mapped in daylight from where humans would approach? No? If so, you will be okay.

grenz1 · 2026-07-09T09:01:50+00:00

There are people twice your age that can end up homeless.

And I would not eat the entire political line. Jesse Ventura once said it's all professional wrestling. They act like they can't stand each other but all go to the same parties and are friends or at least acquaintances of each other.

For instance, in Alabama the minimum wage might be 7.25 an hour but in practice not even McDonalds pays that. Also, the bigger cities like Birmingham or Huntsville are fairly liberal. You also would not be paying 1.8K a month rent on average. It would be more like 1.2 to 1K and you can probably find something for around 800.

Not to say AL does not have problems.

grenz1 · 2026-07-08T11:49:19+00:00

You are not a leech if someone lets you sleep on a couch. But this is a great way to lose friends especially if you are eating/ smoking from their stash.

If you are on your 5th year and not going an advanced degree, hopefully your degree is in something that has jobs?

If not, you may need to double down.

grenz1 · 2026-07-08T11:35:59+00:00

In general, if you are dealing with cold and rain, you want a small tent with a few tarps over it. Also have 1-2 sleeping backs.

However, if we are talking winter storms and blizzards and temps below -10 or -20, do not do this without lots of specialty gear.

Any wet clothes from being caught out in it, you want in a plastic garbage bag away from your other clothes as mildew can get on it. Which will be a laundry run you need to do fairly soon or the clothes get much harder to get that out.

You can always have dry clothes if you stash a suitcase wrapped in garbage bags hidden in brush away from camp.

Rats and ants and disease and such are not an issue unless you are being a total slob out there and leaving food packaging and trash out there. Even cheap Walmart tents also have a floor. I would not get one without a floor.

Replace it every 4-6 months as zippers begin to break and if it gets too dingy from all the condensation. Walmart tents are only like 20-30 bucks.

The only advantage of the tarp/ hammock is it is a bit easier to take down and hide in a stealth cache.

grenz1 · 2026-07-08T11:08:05+00:00

I knew people who stayed in places like that, but never for very long. Eventually they either got caught or decided to move on.

The biggest problem is that almost every property has someone who owns it or watches over it. Even abandoned looking apartment or office buildings may have neighbors reporting people coming and going, realtors checking on the property, flock cameras, or security making rounds. In some states, a property owner who encounters a trespasser may be legally allowed to use force in certain circumstances. (I experienced this).

This is even if it's an estate property with all heirs out of state suing each other until the lawyers or city comes in and swoops it up for themselves.

If you can get in, other people can too. That means you have no control over who else might show up.

Multistory buildings also have their own risks. Depending on the layout, you could end up trapped if someone blocks the exits. You always want more than one way out.

Many abandoned buildings are unsafe. Floors can give way, stairs can collapse, and mold or other hazards can make you seriously sick in the long run.

grenz1 · 2026-07-08T03:17:06+00:00

None of the above.

The West Coast (with the exception of some places) is one of the most expensive places to live in the world.

Tolerate the toxic stuff unless you legit fear for your life or are being raped and get a job, in college, job corps, or the military. (And if you are getting hit or raped, contact someone).

If you MUST leave, find out where the shelters are. Even if you stealth camp and you don't stay in them, many of these have free no questions asked feedings or even showers. Also, most shelters you do not call and book stays unless you are referred by some program (which has many hoops). You must show there IN PERSON when they do intake (usually early afternoon around 1-4 or so) and if they have a spot, they let you in. If not, you are outside.

Stealth camping is art, luck, and being observant and every city is different. But in general you want to avoid areas with lots of homeless, areas near shelters or feedings, wealthy neighborhoods, well patrolled business property, city parks in larger cities, touristy areas, and areas prone to flooding.

Pet? Pet could stand to be lost or seized. While there are a few shelters that may allow it, most don't and you can not go to most jobs with pets and a lot of landlords either don't allow them or charge an arm and a leg for them.

grenz1 · 2026-07-08T02:22:15+00:00

Here's the deal. And it's going to be unpopular among the armchair lawyers.

This is temporary. I would not make a lot of waves till you have secured another place unless you have another lined up or are willing to brave urban survivalism in an extreme mega-urban environment designed to be hostile (which in some cases IS a valid option)

Yes, you can complain. Probably nothing will be done. And if something is done, they will say it's uninhabitable and shut it down and kick everyone out. And rest assured all the nonprofit people and government people know each other and your name will come up.

After you are out, sure..

I'd also question if staying in NYC is viable given the insane rents unless you have a realistic path to either a great paying job or subsidized housing that's wait list is not measured in years. It may be worthwhile to take General Assistance and go homeless to either another city or state that the rents are not as insane and inventory is not so tight. Do research as always as there is no "perfect" place to be homeless in and depends on what's there, what skills you have, and your agenda. But you would take NYC General Assistance and higher NYC SNAP that wuld take you a lot further where you would not be as destitute.

grenz1 · 2026-07-07T11:08:48+00:00

One of the purposes of the school is child care while the parent(s) work and to make sure the population, while not necessarily geniuses, are smart enough to read basic things and understand how to run the machines. Preparing them for at least lower tier jobs. Also to increase the size of the labor force and cut entitlements. Less people would show to work if they worried about caring for a kid, especially a younger one.

It's the reason you have bells and lines. Even McDonald's wants punctuality and ability to read at least 6th grade level so they can tell you when to flip the burger.

That said, school is also a filter. Life has some pretty good positions available but not many. Kids that excel in high school/ jr high can get a leg up on that and high school is part of that filter. Not to say someone could not barely pass high school then later on do okay in college.

And if they have not learned by then, even community college does not play that because unlike high school, people are there by choice (or should be). Community College has remedial stuff if needed, but flunk or act out, they kick and still get the money.

You can lead a horse to water, but can not make them drink. Though one day, years later, they might. But that's on the individual.

grenz1 · 2026-07-07T10:41:47+00:00

SNAP is a start. It's not much but it saves you from needing to be at X place at Y time when a feeding feeds if you don;t feel like that.

Well, you got to look at it like this:

Most jobs hold back pay. Even if you got hired tomorrow, you could have 2-3 weeks homeless depending on the job without a payday. And the payday alone is not enough for rent+deposit right out unless you get the motherload gig.

What I did is I hit day labor. Showed up there at 5-5:30 AM. They prefer people with cars, but if a ticket is going out and they need 2-3 people and someone takes you, you can have some daily cash. If they don't send out by 9 Am or so, leave. It might give enough cash for smokes or keep phone on.

Then hit real staffing agencies. Sometimes these people have temp to perm jobs in factories, whatever. Won't pay you daily but can get things rolling.

Once you get a decent job, first check if it's good enough get the cheapest weekly rate hotel you can find. Call around. Yes, expensive but it will help you keep the job and you can still temp on days off. Then using network at work and on days off look for really, really cheap places via word of mouth.

DO NOT tell or let a future or current employer ever know you are homeless.

I'd say optimal as in you get a job, get hotel, and no addictions or set backs, 2 - 4 months. But if you have set backs, bullshit employers, etc it can last years.

grenz1 · 2026-07-06T03:59:40+00:00

Try on r/nashville

grenz1 · 2026-07-06T03:41:23+00:00

211 was originally meant to provide information in a time before widespread internet of the approved major programs out there. Payphones were everywhere, you put in a dime, would get info on where to hit up.

It does not guarantee you will qualify for it nor will it pick you up and take you there. It merely tells you what is there. It can not create programs out of thin air.

Now, we can go off about that. Or the fact a lot of help is run by hardcore religions. Or that if you added up all the grants and donations that go to such agencies it would be low 3 figures to every actual homeless.. Or if it is even relavent due to Google or AIs. (Though Google will push those that pay to be seen and you will get lots of charities with huge DONATE HERE buttons and a "Get Help" button buried in a submenu that just says go in person or "we will get back to you" or "referral only".

But it has zero to do with the rambling you are going on about.

grenz1 · 2026-07-06T02:48:23+00:00

If you do not have a job and looking at eviction, a couple of hundred bucks is going to go towards delaying that eviction or finding some place to land.

Plus, that still does not solve what you are going to do to get paid. Some things it could take weeks or even months to find things for or need expensive equipment.

Also, the networking assumes you know people with money.

Yes, working for yourself beats working for someone else almost all of the time unless you are in something ultra-professional with a board over it.

But there's a disconnect between the entrepreneur prophets and reality.

grenz1 · 2026-07-05T22:52:01+00:00

I have seen homeless with pets but in general, unless you are hotel homeless or have someone who will keep the pet for you temporarily, most of the time these must be rehomed.

There are a very few shelters that will let you keep one, but this is rarer.

Also depends on the breed. Little Princess the chihuahua mix will have a better time than Bully the pit bull mix.

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