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

Hi OP you need to contact your new employers HR department and explain the situation, staff welfare is within HRs remit and they should be able to offer a number of different options to help you.

Sleeping in your car is a terrible idea.

I was living abroad and had my post redirected to a friend's house. They forgot to open the letter.

I didn't receive a ticket. I overstayed by an hour in a service station because my car was broken down. I provided a breakdown report to the company at the time via email but they overlooked or forgot to action my email.

If I don't have an address, I don't have one and either way will be reliant on friend or family if I redirect to their address. What would you suggest as an alternative?

Small van would be nice. Im not in a position to sell the car at the moment anyway unless for scrap

I also think staying where you are is a better bet, while you keep looking for somewhere else to rent.

Worth posting on local Facebook page asking if rooms to rent 4-5d a week. Some folk don’t mind a lodger mid week but want their weekends to themselves that way you’d get a safer space even if it’s part week. Save to buy a van so at least you can sleep flat in the back. I live in a holiday town with seasonal work & we get many van lifers living around the area.

How are you planning to do all the necessary paperwork for your job without an address? Or get a GP appointment without a local address? etc. etc.

It would be better to look for jobs in places with more opportunities for living (and working). If you do get somewhere and this new job has to make you redundant, how will you pay rent - especially since it seems unlikely you'd get another job if this place is so small.

None of these things are important in the short term i am already registered for all these things. You dont lose your job or your driving license or your GP because you havent updated your address with them. This is not a thing in the real world and is least of my worries. As I have already a couple of time I will get my post redirected it's not a big deal. There are much bigger problems like where I am going to sleep at night.

Living in your car shouldn't be an option. What about when your employer asks for your address? Where would you get your post? Where would you wash?
A doctor needs you to have an address.
Look at all the options first. A flat share or rent a room as a lodger.

Op where are you planning on parking? Overnight parking is not allowed in many carparks and I would imagine if it is a tourist town parking will be a premium. If your car gets towed you will lose your home. Is your car taxed and insured? What is the council's policy regarding on street parking?

Although this would help her in the short term, long term, it will destroy her chances of getting a rental. Some Landlords will take on people with CCJ's, depending on the circumstances etc., however, being evicted by the courts, most Landlords won't touch that.

@ForTidyFinch just to add to the other advice you've had on the thread, you need to approach all of the local letting agents with your requirements. Often, things get let without even going to rightmove, so you need to get in with all of the letting agents so that they call you as soon as they have something.

I do think trying to find a houseshare or lodger arrangement is your best bet, or the boat in the marina idea is good to, the marina office might let you put a card up, asking if you can 'boat sit', etc. Or if you can afford, buy a campervan. It may be a case of sounding out new colleagues about becoming a lodger. That's what I did when I could no longer afford my rent, my colleague offered me a room. Best of luck to you, hope it all works out x

Re the CCJ, please look into if you can get it paid off.

I had a CCJ for an unpaid bill of apx £300. Entirely my fault, I didn't earn enough to pay it all at once and didn't open any Court letters - going through a very traumatic divorce at the time.

I paid it off in chunks, and then got a letter from the company I owed it to to say it was all paid off. I then applied to the Court for a Certificate of Satisfaction.

This will still come up on a credit check for a number of years (I think it's 7), but it is marked as a satisfied CCJ. I was surprised my credit score is considered excellent, despite this.

My CCJ made me feel as though my world had fallen in, more than it had already. I was worried about when I needed to move (the Financial Order for the divorce is forcing a house move later this year) and if this would block it. Thankfully it hasn't.

So sorry you're going through this OP. I think someone's suggestion of trying to book a permanent tent pitch somewhere - less money in exchange for a longer term pitch - is a good one. I think that would feel a bit safer.

I did see a youtube (I think) video of how a woman lived in their car although they were american. They had blackout/insulation pieces to cover all windows, she set everything up for sleep each day and was really organised.

I'd also eat a hot ready meal at work at lunch done in their microwave then sandwiches or something cold in the evening and fill up a flask or 2 with hot water from the kettle at work before you leave if possible for tea/coffee/hot water bottle. Will work notice if you're constantly charging devices? Otherwise a large power bank or solar panels could be useful.

I think if it was going to be a few months, I'd save every penny and buy a small van or people carrier. Then you can keep the back set up as a bed and get a bit more kitted out with everything you need. If you can get your car fixed, I'd probably move it around a bit just so that you're not constantly in the same spot.

I'm glad to hear there is light at the end of the tunnel.after a CCJ. I won't be paying it of however - it was unfairly applied after my car broke down and so overstayed at a service station

Property guardians?

https://www.propertyguardians.com/

What's the deal with your current tenancy OP? Have you been issued with a section 21? Or has it gone beyond that to the court stage? If it hasn't gone to court, stay where you are. There's a massive backlog in the courts so it will take time for your landlord to get you formally evicted and that will buy you more time to find alternative housing.

You should also present to the council as homeless on the day you are evicted. There may not be council housing available, but they could potentially offer to put you up in a B&B. It won't be pleasant (the ones we use to house people in my area are full of drug users) but it would be better than the car.

I'm sorry you're getting a lot of unhelpful responses on here. People really don't understand how difficult it is to find housing in rural areas that are tourist destinations. I totally get it. I work for the local authority in a national park. It genuinely is a nightmare.

I think it will be hard to keep a good job if you look like you're living out of a car.

Look for a room as a lodger? Or a room in a shared house?

Pay off the CCJ so you can rent?

Look for options further away, since you have a car?

Sorry but this is an absolutely ludicrous idea for so, so many reasons.

1. You say your car isn't even mobile? So where are you going to park it? In the company car park? Where are you going to get changed / ready for work each day? If the leisure centre - how are you going to get there (and then on to work) if your car doesn't move?! What about if your new work colleages see you sleeping in your car (which is quite possible if you say you live in a small rural area)?

2. Where are you going to cook meals? Where are you going to go to the toilet? What if you get ill?

3. Probably the most important and relevant one - I'm not sure it's legal to hire someone who doesn't have a permanent address?? At my firm we ask new starters to complete several forms on their first day and also sign their official contract, fill in personnel details etc. I don't think we could actually allow someone to start who was homeless?! So are you going to lie to your new employer?

4. If you haven't been able to find anything in 4 years to rent, how are you planning on being able to find something in the coming months?

I feel for you OP but this just isn't a realistic plan at all.

You really want to do things the hard way don't you OP? I'm not sure what you're wanting from your thread.

If you're using your car you'll need a current address for your driving licence won't you? Aren't you supposed to keep that updated by law?

Yes, these are real concerns. Not having the correct address on your driving licence or V5C is a fine of £1000. Not having the correct address on your car insurance means your insurance is not valid, which is a fine of £300 and 6 points on your licence. This is an easy way to cause your problems to spiral.

Also, not giving your employer a correct address is actually illegal and your contract can be terminated instantly if they find out.

You won’t pay off the ccj even though you see it as a barrier to renting (although you are currently renting)….you want to sleep in your car but its knackered and needs to be scrapped…

do you have any savings at all? Any resources? What will your income be net each month? Can you cover even short term/room let from that wage?
Can you get a second job to increase your income?
if you cannot live in your current location you will need to move somewhere where you can access a room on the wage you can get - it’s hard but it’s a something a lot of people have to do - relocate or a long commute

One further update - to those asking I have registered with the council as homeless but not holding out any particular hope. Even if they were able to offer temp accommodation it is very likely to be too far away for me to attend work, particularly with no working car.. As it's a rural area and so the council covers a large area. Also people.might not be aware or the challenges of living in the countryside where there is not much housing, public transport etc.

I'm not sure what you're wanting from your thread.

Being homeless or threatened with it is many things but above all it’s lonely. It often goes hand in hand with a bit of a transient lifestyle where you’re largely invisible. You won’t understand unless you’ve been there and I hope you never are.

Ok.

You need to come clean to any close family/friends you have. Move with them temporarily. Apply for a remote job irrespective of what you are trained to do - you will get a customer service 100% remote role in time. Or any job local to where you have actual accommodation for that matter. You can then contribute to your friend/family until a new place comes up.
There is no way in hell this new job is worth what you are attempting to do, and if your work finds out (they will) they will be extremely concerned for you. It's just not worth it, I don't care what the job is. It's a rough patch, but you will get through it.

This will come across however you want but you are living in la la land, you have zero idea what you are doing

How far are you from relatives and the job? Could you commute from there, assuming you could get the car fixed?