Living in a 5x5 Storage Unit

Sad story. But not too surprising. You want to get freaked out a bit more? Search for the topic of "living in car" or "how to live in your car" etc. It seems there are more and more people who are either forced to start living in their car or they see how much $$ they have to spend on a mortgage/home and they choose to save the cash...so it's becoming an underground fringe movement.

It's a sign of the times and the economy, I suppose.

Every time I have a discussion with friends and family, the conversation always leads to other countries as a possible alternative to what is available here in the US. I do believe the homeless numbers are going to continue to increase as so many have lost jobs, houses and future retirement. There is no plan in place to deal with the increase that we have and will see in the future.

Your story doesn't surprise me, Rich. When that woman was young, women didn't often work outside of the home. When something happens such as a husband dying without leaving anything, they have nothing to fall back on except the pitance of SS and that isn't enough to rent someplace and eat, too. There are now around 3000 older people starving in WA state alone- mostly women who spent younger years as housewives and mothers but are now alone and can't live on SS. Hud is full, thanks to them giving out everything to immigrants. There is no place for them to turn, so they get rooms as cheap as possible - and sit in them and starve to death with no money left for food or transportation to food. Nice eh?

Are we safe yet? Are we PROUD? I'm so ashamed of my country right now I'm ready to start talking with an accent so people won't know I was born here.

As a soon to be member of the homeless, it is now easy for me to see how the situation arises.

I have been too generous for my own good throughout my life time. I have supported a large family which, because of their own situations, are unable to help me, I have worked for many charitable causes and always had an open hand policy when I have seen a need.

Now I'm the one in need but seing my options disappear as fast as they arise - fortunately I live in a country where living out doors is possible all year round and my dogs will be content where ever we end up.

The strange thing is, as people see you start to get into difficulties they stop paying you money that they owe you, waiting for you to 'go away' and when it comes to loans made to 'friends', there is little point in going to law because the costs will wipe out the benefit unless there is binding paperwork - something I never imposed on 'friends'.

I am being offered help by a British charitable organisation but the sad thing is that I am British so the British government will want nothing to do with me. It is becoming easier to see why illegal immigrants in Britain have a much better lifestyle than British citizens - they get everything provided for the asking while the poor dumb Brit is means tested. I'm better off living in Spain!

It is a very sad fact that there are very few countries in the world that look after their ageing populations - they are far too busy buying weapons of mass destruction, spending immense fortunes on administartive super layers while government officials build their empires and maintaining standing armies and navies in order to intimidate nations who, if they refuse to be intimidated, will either be coerced or become the spark that will start the final world war.

Sal's point is also very valid - in the UK anybody who needs more than the basic subsistence level of social security has to be sure that they dispose of all their assets before they can get any government help - of course, once they have no assets, the government help ensures they can never improve their situation.