Becoming homeless for my dream job

[ForTidyFinch]

I've been offered and ideal job in the town where I currently live but my short term tenancy is due to end in a couple of weeks. I have tried everything to find a new place to live. There is nothing available in this small town and I have no friends or family living close enough to help. I have decided to start the job and then live in my car. I've reached a desperate point now where I think there is little chance of me being able to rent privately even if something does become available. A run of bad luck has drained my finances and a CCJ was taken out against me without my knowledge (for overstaying in a service station when my car was broken down!) This was taken out while I was living abroad and I have only just found out. So there goes the chance of renting privately. So the choice I see it is being homeless and destitute staying with relatives or living in my car and starting this interesting job opportunity. I think I will live in my car. WWYD

Ask on FB local if anyone has a spare room?
You can't risk living in a car that isn't even roadworthy legally.
The council have no obligation to house you being a single person in good health with no local connections
I don't think it's doable unless your job pay you a relocation advance

Sorry, small child. Then phone rang.

The OP might be down on her luck just now but she’s looking to the future. I had two years in chaotic living situations which no one knew about but it enabled me to move on from a very difficult work situation and restart my career effectively and now it’s as if nothing happened. Working in care or a hotel would mean I’d still be working in care or a hotel.

That's good then. Hope you get it removed ASAP.

Well done on getting your desired job and going for it. That's a significant and important step. You have great spirit despite seriously difficult circumstances and will find a way through even when it's tough. That takes grit and determination, something you cannot buy.

People have lived in cars when desperate but there may be alternatives, for example, taking a room in someone's house, say someone who wants a companion more than money, or what about house sitting? Or rent a caravan. Advertise locally, offering to sit and ask around as you go about your daily life. If stuck, stay with relatives for a short time while you rebuild.

And don't assume you won't be able to rent because of a court judgement against you - you are your own best advocate and can explain how it arose, how you dealt / are dealing with it, your achievement of your desired job status, the stable state of your finances currently and your plan and determination to pull yourself back up. Many would be impressed by your qualities and happy to rent to you.

Personally, I would go and stay on the family members sofa. Scrap the car- it’s damaged beyond repair and therefore useless.

Use the time spent with family to work every hour under then sun and save save. Get the CCJ off your record if possible. Get a new car or a campervan and then reapply for this job (or similar) next year.

If you really really want the job then I think living in a tent on a campsite is the next best option, but only really feasible until end September (and then what?)

After reading all of your posts, I'd say go for it. Once you have accumulated a few week's wages, maybe some options will open up. Is there a premier inn within reach; you could treat yourself to a room on the weekend for a decent sleep?

At one of my former workplaces, an employee used to rent a room each summer to any new employee relocating to the area. She'd use the income to do one major upgrade to her modest house. Win-win. Could you feel around once you start to see if anyone is open to an informal arrangement? Also at the leisure centre, you might meet someone in a houseshare or other arrangement..

It won't be easy but just focus on the basics - sleep, hygiene, nutrition, safety. You can get through anything for a couple of months.

She has a job with a future which means in six months, twelve months, she won’t be facing homelessness. If she takes your wonderful advice, eye roll and all, she’ll be in the same situation in six, twelve months.

There is more to homelessness than shelter from the street. Someone relying on a hotel or elderly person for shelter is in an extremely vulnerable position and probably will stay that way. Usually only women who are economic migrants do those roles.

I haven't RTFT but have you considered dog sitting? It costs a few hundred (I think) to sign up to Trusted Dogsitters (which may not be affordable straight away) and you get to stay at someone's house while looking after their pets. It might be worth a look?

This might have been mentioned, but you can have your post delivered to a PO box at a local post office. I know you are going to have it redirected to a friend somewhere else, but if you could have it redirected to your local post office, you'd be able to collect it much sooner/easier.
www.royalmail.com/receiving/po-box

A CCJ, unless removed, remains on your credit file for 6 years. You will struggle to find a place, so I think you need a better solution than your car.

She has a job with a future which means in six months, twelve months, she won’t be facing homelessness. If she takes your wonderful advice, eye roll and all, she’ll be in the same situation in six, twelve months.

And if she sleeps in a clapped out vehicle, she could end up dead. I know what risk I'd rather take - the career trajectory being put on pause or sleeping in a car and putting myself at risk. I don't even think OP has said what this dream job is. But a live-in job (if she could get one) would at least give her some breathing space whilst waiting for other opportunities (accommodation and job wise) to come up.

On the other hand, there's no guarantee that in six months or twelve months she won't be facing the same issue again - even with the dream job because of the lack of availability of accommodation in the area. Obviously the same applies if she's working in a live-in position, but at least she won't be sleeping in a car.

You obviously disagree, but I think you're in a minority if you think she should take the dream job and sleep in an unroadworthy car.

@lavendercove @Starlight1979 Why do you keep harping on about employee accomodation? Did you even read my post properly or do you just lack reading comprehension skills?

OP's employer isn't responsible for housing her (which is what you seem to be obsessed with). However they're a party with a vested interest unlike random people on FB, the binman, whatever.

OP doesn't even need to say she's homeless, just say that she's looking for accomodation and could they offer any help. If they say no, fine. But they might also know someone who can rent her a place.

In rural places a small employer vouching for their employee can absolutely make a difference. So not being a megacorp helps

Again OP has nothing to lose by asking. What useful suggestions have either of you made?

@Starlight1979

The job does not mean that something will necessarily become available. OP said the location has no spare housing regardless of her personal circumstances. It sounds like she needs to give up on this location and cut her losses if it’s as bad as in her posts tbh.

She has a job with a future which means in six months, twelve months, she won’t be facing homelessness.

There's absolutely zero guarantee of that.

Generally pet-sitting like that means you need to be at the house during the day - it's not something you can do while being out 10+ hours at work.

I think people are missing the fact that the car is broken with no hope of repair. So living in her car means literally living in a tin can until the police have it removed. Not remotely feasible.

OP, you've had loads of good suggestions on this thread - are any of them worth looking into, or looking at again? If not, I think it boils down to these options:

• move in with family/friends and buy/beg/borrow/rent a car to commute to work (moped/e-bike? you don't say how far out your people are.)
• move in with family/friends and look for work and accommodation in that area or in a bigger city where there are more options
• stay in a tent on a campsite or in someone's back garden (field on a farm?) while you get established in your new job and keep looking for local accommodation.

All of these options have pros and cons, but any of them will get you out of your present predicament, at least temporarily. What you cannot do is live in your car. Because for all intents and purposes, you don't have a car.

Well, I don’t know what the OPs job is or what it involves, but I do know that when I got a job which meant I was technically homeless I had sick pay, maternity benefits (obviously not the best time to get pregnant!) pension contributions, a regular income and protection from things like unfair dismissal and so on.

My life now is vastly different and I can’t believe in some ways it was once so chaotic but I do think I did the right thing in working and in ensuring I had a job with a bit of a future. If I’d stayed in my home I might have had a home but none of the other things. Don’t get me wrong I don’t think the OP should, exactly, but it can be the least worst option if you like. What is certain is that low paid unskilled work won’t get you out of that cycle.

I think people are missing the fact that the car is broken with no hope of repair. So living in her car means literally living in a tin can until the police have it removed. Not remotely feasible.

Yes, exactly.

It's not the same as a car that can be driven, moved around etc. accordingly.

Unlike many here, I have read the whole thread. To the OP, yes, take the job. It’s what you want and that’s the most important thing. If it’s the dream job for a graduate then it probably pays well enough, especially without housing expenses(!) it probably means you should be able to save enough well before winter to buy a basic van. Learning to kit it out for living will be a wonderful experience and give you huge confidence and great skills while you get your life together. You’ll love telling stories of your adventures later.

Sleeping in the car will be very, very tough and really not viable for more than a short period, but I don’t think you should worry unduly about all the stuff other posters are obsessing on. I would think it likely if you are parked discretely that it will be weeks at least before the police take any notice. (Though it would be advisable to notify your insurance that your car will be kept overnight temporarily at xyz postcode). Hopefully by the time any other issues arise you will either have found a room to rent or will have scraped together enough to buy a driveable (!) van. You are unlikely to be bothered about sleeping in your vehicle if the vehicle is regularly moved.

I know a number of people who have lived in vans for years. I also lived on a boat for years. I used a friend for a postal address, solved personal cleanliness at local gym, clothes at laundrette, gave my insurance company the post code where I parked my car (which did not need to be the same as my postal address), and held down a job. You can too - but if you can’t find a roof over your head you need to swap your car for a van ASAP or it’s all going to fall apart. If you have any available credit or friends or family you can fall on, then get the van fast for sure! With a job you can make payments.

Wishing you the very best of luck!

You are unlikely to be bothered about sleeping in your vehicle if the vehicle is regularly moved.

How would she move it?

Rural housing is really difficult.

Our village co-op has a noticeboard with 'I'm working in Place/Business X from August and looking for a room for my first 3 months and a contact number'. I know this is quite a public way to ask, but less public than social media? We also have village Facebook posts saying 'My friend/employee is starting work with Business X and looking for accommodation here for 3 months...', which protects identity a bit.

Also have a look on Trustedhousesitters.com (apols if someone has already mentioned this)

If living in a car has to be it, trade in for a van ASAP.

Exactly - it's currently unmovable!

“You are unlikely to be bothered about sleeping in your vehicle if the vehicle is regularly moved.

How would she move it?”

That’s why she needs to swap it ASAP for a van. But it is likely that she will have weeks - if not months - to sort that out before anyone notices as long as she is parked discretely.

I don't think it will take long (at all) for people to notice that someone is sleeping rough out of their car.

She says she can't afford a van. And how can she swap a non-roadworthy car for a (presumably roadworthy) van? Who's gonna be up for that swap?