I'm 32, disabled, and facing homelessness. My parents won't take me in because of a psychiatric episode over a decade ago. I'm terrified, but I desperately want to rebuild my life. Please help me figure out how to survive.

I'm writing this through tears because I genuinely don't know where else to turn. I'm 32 years old, a mother to a beautiful little girl, a former senior data engineer, and someone who has spent years trying to overcome the effects of mental illness and trauma.

And in December, when I return to Colorado, I am facing homelessness.

I have autism, ADHD, and complex PTSD. My life hasn't been easy. I've experienced serious psychiatric difficulties, particularly in my early twenties, including episodes of paranoia and delusions. During one of those episodes, over a decade ago, I believed and said things about my father that hurt him.

My parents still hold me personally responsible for what happened during that illness. They have told me they aren't comfortable allowing me to live with them, even temporarily.

I understand that people have boundaries. I understand that my parents were hurt. But I cannot adequately describe the heartbreak of knowing that I might be sleeping in a shelter or on the streets while my own parents refuse to give me a safe place to land.

I've apologized. I've told them I love them. I've expressed how deeply I regret what happened when I was unwell.

Sometimes I feel like I'm serving a life sentence for having been mentally ill.

I've reached out to friends, too. Almost everyone has said they can't accommodate me. One wonderful friend has offered me a couch for a few days, and I'm incredibly grateful, but after that, I don't know where I'll go.

The loneliness and rejection are crushing. I feel like I've been cast out of society, like there's something fundamentally wrong with me that makes me undeserving of help.

But I don't want to give up. I desperately want to live a good life.

Here's the part that hurts the most.

I have a young daughter whom I love more than anything in the world. Her father and I are separating, and our parenting agreement allows me to resume 50/50 custody when I return and can establish a suitable home.

I want to be her mother. I want to tuck her into bed, make her breakfast, read her stories, and be there for the ordinary moments of her childhood.

But I need housing to make that possible.

I am terrified that homelessness will keep me separated from my child.

I also want people to understand that I'm not someone who has given up on contributing to society.

I have approximately eight years of professional experience in data engineering and analytics. I've worked in senior technical roles involving SQL, data architecture, ETL pipelines, database development, automation, and business intelligence. I previously earned a six-figure salary. I'm educated, capable, and experienced. I'm currently teaching English online to generate income while I work toward rebuilding my career.

My life has fallen apart in ways I never imagined possible, but I still have skills. I still have ambition. I still have so much love to give.

I don't need a luxurious lifestyle. I don't need to be wealthy or extraordinarily successful.

I want a modest apartment. A steady job. A little financial security. A peaceful home where my daughter feels safe and loved.

I want to wake up in the morning without being afraid of what will happen to me.

I want to stop feeling like a burden for simply existing.

I'm asking for practical advice from people who have experienced homelessness, especially people with disabilities or mental health conditions.

- How do I survive homelessness safely as a woman in the Denver/Thornton, Colorado area?

- What should I do immediately upon returning if I have nowhere permanent to stay?

- Are there shelters, transitional housing programs, or housing assistance resources for parents trying to reunite with their children?

- How can I continue interviewing for professional jobs while homeless?

- How do I protect my mental health, maintain hygiene, and keep my belongings safe?

- Are there resources specifically for autistic adults or people with psychiatric disabilities?

- Has anyone managed to rebuild their career, secure housing, and regain stability after losing almost everything?

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who went from a stable professional life to homelessness and found their way back.

I am so scared.

I've been crying because I feel unwanted by the very people I believed would love me through anything. And sometimes I feel so hopeless that imagining a better future seems almost impossible.

But somewhere underneath all this grief, there's still a part of me that refuses to surrender.

I want to survive this. I want to get better. I want to build a safe home for my daughter. I want to prove to myself that my life isn't over because I've experienced mental illness, made mistakes, or fallen on hard times.

I don't want my story to end here.

If you've been through something similar, please tell me how you made it.

I could really use some hope right now. And even more than hope, I need a plan.

Thank you for reading.

My husband didn't pay the rent for three months and I didn't know it until we had a court notice on our door. We paid a month of rent last month and stopped court but only for a month. Now we have a court notice saying we have to pay the remaining 5k by the second or be evicted. We barely had the 1900 for rent (our rent has gone up 600 a month in the last five years so we obviously don't have 5k. We don't have extra bills just rent, food, utilities, and such like that so there is nothing to skip to pay rent instead. The point is there is no way to pay the landlord. My husband thinks go fund me or going to court and talking to the judge with nothing to offer is going to help. I think that's useless and not going to help us and I assume when court comes all we are getting is the move out date. What I want to know is then what? I've never been homeless, what do I do? Where do I go? How do I try to get out of homelessness once we are in it? My husband has a job but doesn't make enough to even qualify to rent the apartment we are in now. (we qualified when it was a lot less). I have chronic health conditions and am unable to work, not unwilling, unable. We have bad credit to and no dollars to our name. We have no family and no friends. My kids are 10-16 but the 16 year old is autistic and wouldn't be able to work either. The only eviction help place 211 gave us hasn't taken calls in two months because there is too many people needing help and not enough money to do it. I have absolutely no idea how to prepare for this other than stick our stuff in storage. Then it's all a blank of what do we even do? How do I get information on what to even do? It's going to be winter and cold when the eviction comes. I could use any information on what I do now. Thank you.

It could be worse I could be living in the car or the street but my situation is so frustrating. I have family and can stay at a hotel which im grateful for but I do not see us finding a place anytime soon..due to a criminal record, 2 evictions, and having a large dog..

Some people have been nice but living in a hotel I have experienced a lot of crazy shit so far..

I just feel bad for other people that are homeless and how hard it is struggling..

I don't need any advice, just needed to vent.

I am so lost. I don’t know what to do anymore. I am paralyzed with fear. I need a miracle. I have begged everyone I know for help and no one can help me and my family. I’m going to loose my belongings in storage and we will be homeless November 1. I have tried everything I can think of but life keeps throwing curve balls. I’ve always been a hustler- but for the first time I’m hopeless- and the fear has totally paralyzed me. I sink deeper everyday into a state of myself I don’t recognize.

i don’t know what to do, i will have to go to a shelter, i live in NYC. if anyone has any advice please let me know.

so , im pretty tired of this bs and society as a whole. they serve no purpose to me at all , they are slaves and programmed this way. im thinking about programming my paradigm that i dont need to work to earn. prolly some people would get this.

anyways im 14m and from india going to live in the mountains with my friend wish me luck folks lol

I’m a single mum in Sydney, about to finish my Bachelor of Nursing.

I’m currently living rent-free with my child’s father. We’re no longer together, and while things are generally fine, things can get quite tense when we have disagreements. During those times, he can become hostile and make comments about when I’m leaving, which makes me feel like I need to move out urgently. Then things settle down and everything goes back to normal. It’s not an unbearable living situation, but the uncertainty and uncomfortable atmosphere during those moments are part of why I want my own space.

I recently applied for a one-bedroom apartment for $570/week, inspected it, loved it, and have now been offered a six-month lease.

My dilemma is that I’m currently receiving approximately $1,500 a fortnight from Centrelink. I’m hoping to start working as a registered nurse early next year, but I haven’t secured a position yet, so there’s no guarantee when that will happen.
My fortnightly budget would be:
Income: $1,500
Rent: $1,140
Groceries (including my child’s essentials): $220
Phone: $65
Remaining: $75

I don’t have a car or transport expenses, but electricity, water and internet would still need to be covered.
I currently have around $2,000 saved, with another $1,500 coming in shortly. After paying the bond and two weeks’ rent upfront, I’d have approximately $1,220 left. I’d also need to furnish the apartment gradually.
Here’s the thing: I’ve managed paying similar rent on Centrelink before and never missed a rent payment. It wasn’t easy, especially when other bills came around, but I made it work.

Part of me believes I can do it again. I just need to hold on until I secure a nursing job. But another part of me wonders whether I’m being unrealistic, especially since there’s no guarantee when that will happen.
If I stay where I am, I can continue saving, but I’ll still have the same income problem until I find employment. The main difference would be having more savings to fall back on.

I desperately want my independence and somewhere I can feel settled without worrying about tensions at home, but I also don’t want to put myself in a financially stressful situation.

What would you do? Take the apartment and try to make it work, or stay rent-free and save until employment is secured?

Would genuinely appreciate honest advice, especially from anyone who’s been in a similar situation.

Looking for short term help options & I know nothing about MD.

Hi everyone. ❤️
I’m 18 years old and currently living in Switzerland. Two years ago, I lost my mother to cancer. After growing up in an abusive household, I was forced to leave my family home because of my father’s behaviour, leaving behind my little sister, whom I miss terribly.
I’m currently staying with my boyfriend and his parents, but this is only temporary. In February 2027, I’ll have to move out, and I’m terrified of ending up homeless.
I lost my internship after my living situation changed and am currently unemployed. My boyfriend is also 18 and doesn’t have a stable income. He’s leaving for military service in February, so we’re struggling to figure out how to support ourselves.
I’m actively applying for jobs and trying my best to build a stable future, but without savings, income, or family support, it’s incredibly difficult.
I’m not asking for money here. I’m looking for advice on housing assistance, social services, or organisations in Switzerland that could help someone in my situation.
I just want a safe place to call home and a chance to get my life back on track.
Thank you for reading. ❤️

I’m a bit scared, honestly, and I’ve never needed to consider a shelter before. Any resources for a newly homeless person would be welcome.

Thank you.

My mom and I have been getting into fights and my grandparents don’t want me here

If you think your life is hard, imagine living a life where you can't even find a place to sleep in your own home. You're homeless while being at home. And that's my life. I've no room and no place to sleep over and rest its same as being homeless

Hi everyone,

My name is Jamie, and I’m reaching out just to introduce myself and find some community. My partner and I are currently living in a 24x8 enclosed handmade shelter. It's a tight setup, but we've built it up ourselves to try and stay independent and safe. With the winter weather starting to creep in, we are doing everything we can to prepare for the cold and figure out our next steps, but it definitely gets stressful.

Right now, we are really focusing on how to get it together in life and build up long-term stability. It can feel incredibly isolating when you don't have a huge support system around you, so I wanted to connect with people here who truly understand the daily grind and the reality of navigating housing insecurity.

We are keeping our heads up, writing songs, staying positive, and working hard every single day to turn things around and eventually buy a house of our own.

I’d love to hear from others in similar situations—how do you stay motivated, and what are your best tips for staying warm and positive during tough transitions?

Sending a ton of love and strength to everyone else out there pushing through a hard time.

Hi! I'm looking to connect with people from the Rainbow Family or alternative communities around Gothenburg, Sweden.

I'm returning to Sweden tomorrow evening after a very difficult situation in Turkey, and unfortunately,

I'm hoping someone in the community might be able to offer me a safe place to sleep for a couple of nights while I try to find support and figure out my next steps.

I'd be happy to share more privately. If you can't help yourself, perhaps you know someone who might be able to.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Any help or connection would mean a lot to me.

28M Over the last seven months, my life has changed in ways I never imagined. I came abroad hoping to build a better future, but I am still struggling with visa and immigration issues. I have completed my bachelor's degree, yet I am working as a hot-dish chef and trying my best to survive.

During these same seven months, I went through a painful breakup after a five-year relationship, and my father was arrested in Malaysia and is now in prison. My family is drowning in debt, and I am under enormous financial pressure. I feel a heavy responsibility to support my family and find a way out of this situation.

Everything has happened so quickly that sometimes I feel completely lost and mentally exhausted. I am trying to stay strong, but I honestly don't know what steps I should take to change my life.

Despite all these struggles, I still want to rebuild my life, repay my family's debts, support my loved ones, and find a legal way to build a stable future abroad.

I would genuinely appreciate your advice. If you were in my situation, what would you do? Where should I start, and what practical steps would you take to get your life back on track? I am looking for honest advice and guidance from people who have experience or can help me see a way forward.

Hi! ❤️ I'm looking to connect with people from the Rainbow Family or alternative communities around Gothenburg, Sweden.

I'm returning to Sweden tomorrow evening after a very difficult situation in Turkey, and unfortunately,

I'm hoping someone in the community might be able to offer me a safe place to sleep for a couple of nights while I try to find support and figure out my next steps.

I'd be happy to share more privately. If you can't help yourself, perhaps you know someone who might be able to.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Any help or connection would mean a lot to me. ❤️

I'm on a burner account because I'm a little ashamed about this but I've been homeless for a good majority of 2026 shortly following my 19th birthday

Could anybody share some resources I've heard the main ones like Saulzbacher and the homeless shelters, but is there anything I might've missed? Is there a megathread somewhere or something?

Just really struggling and can't seem to see a light at the end of the tunnel, thanks yo.

21f, california (riverside county, trying to get back to santa clara county)
also, to clarify, i am absolutely NOT asking for someone to pay for my transportation, im only asking if anyone knows any government/crisis programs that assist with transportation in crisis situations
hello! to keep a long story short i ended up stranded halfway across the state by my school. theyre requiring that i provide them with a doctors note but they made me take a flight to a county outside my insurance coverage area, and none of the emergency doctors nearby want to provide me with a note (understandably, i dont blame them) due to the legal troubles that come with giving out notes for patients they dont know.
im currently trying to go back up to my home county so i can seek emergency shelter and go to my doctor. this would constitute a 13 hour bus/train/bus/train/etc etc journey that would cost me around $100. i know that doesn’t seem like a lot but its the last of my money and i would really appreciate not having to spend it all. does anyone know of any services that help with transportation costs in situations like this? if not then i am willing to buy the ticket on my own, but if there is something then i would really appreciate it :)