The main reason why I left Salt Lake was because my rent was increasing by $110 a month. I had no way to cover a 20 percent increase and no reserves to pay deposit at another apartment. I also knew that I would only be at any new place until August when my internship with Walt Disney World starts.
I had been working three paid jobs and a couple of volunteer jobs in addition to going to school part time. Even with school loans, I did not make enough money to cover $672 a month in rent only. That didn’t include electricity, food or car related expenses.
I keep thinking about what would have happened if I didn’t have a mom and stepdad who are willing to have me back home despite my advancing age. I certainly would have had to liquidate everything I own in order to make room for me to sleep in my car. I may have had to sell my car at some point or at least let my insurance lapse.
At some point, I would have ended up homeless. On the positive side, I know the resources available in Salt Lake City for the homeless. The fact that I was so close to being homeless, and I felt like I was working hard and contributing to society scares me. What will happen the next time?
The bigger question is “What do people do who don’t have family or don’t have good relationships with their family?”