Please don’t squat, you might “win” in the short run but you will get charges sooner or later.

Instead seek local organizations and churches who might be able to point you in the right directions and/or provide you assistance.

And in place of panhandling for cash (if it allowed), you might get better luck if you simply ask for donation(s) for what you are needing (i.e. food instead of money to get said food). To me it’s more understanding if a person on the streets ask for some bread than if they looking for $3 to get a loaf.

Because you have a disability, I’m not sure any of the things that made homelessness bearable for me would work for you. You’re probably unable to hop fences and stealth camp in abandoned factories or in wooded areas, I don’t wanna make a broad assumption at your abilities though. So If you are able to do those things, you’ll rarely be without a place to sleep and store things in the short term.

Otherwise, if you have a support structure in place, now’s the time to start using it. Offer your friends services or assistance, in exchange for things you need. I couch-surfed and stayed fed by doing handiwork for my friends.

depending on where you live in the US, busking/begging will have wildly different outcomes. Where I was homeless, begging gets the cops called or guns pulled. Which is the main reason I tell people to find other means of finding the things they need, but if it’s the only option available to you there’s two schools of thought on doing it. You can either be very honest and direct with people, or you can be dishonest and try to tear-jerk people into giving you stuff. Both work, both have drawbacks, do what feels best for you.

No matter where you stay, if it isn’t a closed room with a bed that expressly says you can sleep there, you will eventually be flushed out if the certain group who hates the homeless finds out where you’ve decided to keep safe. If you squat, be smart about it. Don’t stay in one place for more than a night (or two if you’ve done the research and have found it to be safe), don’t build a fire or do anything to generate light at night, if you hear people just heckin’ get out of there. I’d personally also add to that, only stay in the squat house at night, as soon as the sun comes up, you need to already be somewhere else, and you need to stay gone until the sun comes back down. Many of the same things go for if you’re camping.

Public libraries are a wonderful place to go for short durations during the day, if you have a laptop or can pay for a library card it’s worth it to take a little while checking the internet. Public libraries also tend to hire pretty liberally, same with most public services. Though, it’s tough to tell people to “just get a job”, because forced poverty is a thing, and it’s possible to be too poor to be considered “hireable”.

If you need to steal food, do it during the busiest hours in the most crowded stores, or try your hand at dumpster diving behind stores. Though those dumpsters are usually locked, and if you don’t have lockpicks it’s a no-go.

I’m not sure I have any other advice, But whatever you end up doing, just make sure you do it safely. Safety is the most important thing to surviving.

What country are you in?

It might be a good idea to search for homeless charities near you that can give you advice.

It might be useful to have some kind of permanent address if possible .(maybe a PO box) you can use for job applications ect.

I’ve heard a gym membership (if you can afford one) is a good way to get access to a shower.

If you are anywhere in the US, you can call 2-1-1 to be connected to a United Way social-service hotline. I worked that hotline for a while, people in your position called all the time and we would help them contact all sorts of charities, churches, organizations, and government programs that existed to help people just like you!

2-1-1 will be able to direct you to resources specific to your local area. They can tell you which shelter to go to, or who to call at a charity, or where you can go immediately to get a free meal / shower, etc… 2-1-1 may also be able direct you to rent-assistance programs, or charities that are in place to keep people just like you from losing your housing in the first place!

How it usually works, have a pen and paper handy when you call 2-1-1:

1.) Call 2-1-1, and explain your situation.

2.) Depending on your exact situation they can give you 5-10 phone numbers for organizations / programs that might be able to help you.

3.) Call every number they give you until you find help.

4.) If none of the resources they give you are able to help, call 2-1-1 again.

I have been there, with the physical disability and the homelessness. It’s tough. I was lucky insofar as I was receiving disability payments, so I had enough for food and whatnot. My disability, income, and situation may have been too different to yours to make my advice perfect, but maybe you’ll find some of it useful.

I live out in the middle of nowhere. If you have a warm sleeping bag, a sleeping mat, and a tarp, you can sleep anywhere. Sometimes I would sleep in actual campgrounds, sometimes in a nice nook off the side of the road where the ground was a bit soft, sometimes in the forest. If there are trees and you know how to tarp, you can always make yourself a dry spot. If you know how to tie the trucker’s hitch, setup and takedown are both much faster and much easier.

I got used to sleeping in public-ish places, setting up just after dark and bundling everything up around dawn. This is more work but it is also much safer than leaving your world at everyone else’s mercy.

Back when I lived in the city (and was not myself homeless), there were always homeless people who had set up tents in the major parks. Sometimes a tent city would be formed. I would personally stay away from the tent cities, because I don’t want to be inculpated by association, but I see no harm in setting up somewhere relatively unobtrusive. I guess this will depend on where you live, both in terms of local laws and how often they are enforced and in terms of what the environment provides. There was one park near my apartment that had a series of deer trails winding through otherwise rather tight bush, and if you followed the labyrinth long enough you would come across a small clearing with flat ground, a tarp overhead, and some lawn chairs. I am honestly not sure whether it was a homeless refuge or a kids’ hideout, but either way it was perfect. You would be very unlikely to be bothered in such a place, if you could find one.

There are people who make a vacation out of homelessness. I met one guy who rode his bike everywhere throughout the country with nothing but the three items listed above (a sleeping bag, a sleeping mat, and a tarp) and just camped out wherever he could, exploring nature. I don’t know whether your physical disability would permit this exactly, but the principle may be able to be applied elsewhere. I met another guy who had essentially set up a permanent tarp-and-tent residence in a government-run campground that allowed several-month stays in the off season. If you could find an old trailer or something, life could be comparatively luxurious (depending on your definition of luxury).

It can be hard to maintain, but passable hygiene and the spark of life in your eyes are what, for a lot of people, separate the homeless people and the ‘homeless problem’. I suggest finding a place where you can reliably bathe and do laundry. This is where it starts to hurt, but if you have a friend who can help you in one way, he may not be able to help you in another without feeling strained; sometimes it is better to retain the privilege of clothes washing than to enjoy temporarily full accommodation.

Some people, particularly in rural places, may be willing to let you camp or set up a trailer on their land, either for free or for a nominal fee. If you ask, I would suggest that you describe yourself with verbs rather than adjectives. When people hear that someone is ‘homeless’, they immediately think of whatever ideas they have about homelessness and project them onto you. When people hear that someone has lost their apartment, currently lacks the means to secure another, and needs an interim place to stay, they can look at the reality of the situation more easily.

I’m sorry to hear it’s like this right now. I hope things work out well for you.

i know you said shelters are bad (they are, but…) - i actually went through it and if you do what they tell you - especially with a disability, you could get housing in a few months. Although i don’t know where you are so…

cant you rent a room some place cheaper?

Any chance you can take shelter in the storage unit? Might have to do it under the radar if the people who run it aren’t cool about it.

I’m sorry, I don’t have much in the way of advice. But you should look into “stealth camping”. From what I’ve seen on youtube and reddit, with the right resources you can set up just about anywhere. Like someone else said, in most public areas you can find a nook, or you can use a car if necessary.

Also, make sure you know what temperatures your meds should be stored at.

Best of luck to you friend, and may the gods’ blessings be overhead.