I'm Nicole, 25 years old MtF trans woman who's had to go back into the closet and hide myself a bit as I'm experiencing homelessness. I had job loss last year and been homeless since October. I've been getting by with work exchange programs like WwooF and WordPackers to get housing but they are unpaid volunteer programs. I find myself today with a gap between opportunities for a week and don't have housing. I called the local 211 in Sacramento and the only shelter available was one that required a tb test and the conditions were pretty atrocious. Men’s shelter where the showers are out in the open and you’re forced to strip down in front of everyone. The referred clinic for the TB isn't open until Monday and the tests take 24-48 hrs for results. Meaning I wouldn't even be able to get shelter until Tuesday or Wednesday and that's for a men's shelter. I’m just struggling because I feel really vulnerable having to go through some rougher systems when labeled as male but it’s also so disadvantaged when you tell them you’re trans. Literally don’t know what to do and if Sacramento is even the right option to stay here for me. Every system seems overcrowded and I contacted the Trevor project but they were just as much help as county services. Any advice?
u/DreamingNicole
It’s finally happened, I’m facing my first night without any shelter tomorrow and those I thought I could count on don’t care.
To backtrack my story, I’m 25 years old in the Sacramento California region, and have been experiencing uncertain housing since last October. I’d lost my job and through a series of financial dominos from a few years back found myself in the situation of having no source of income and terrible credit that made it impossible for rental acceptance. I made the hard decision to end my month to month lease since I had roommates and couldn’t let my own finances affect them and result in eviction. I’ve managed to coast the past 6 months through volunteer work exchanges where hosts offer up a place to stay in exchange for room and board. I finally hit a point where I have a gap before the next one and no place to stay.
I’ve had a few gaps in the past where I stayed with two friends who have up to this point been supportive when others said “tough luck.” Now they hit me with a text they didn’t want to host me for a few days between my next exchange program because they needed space. I understand where they’re coming from but it’s still a gut punch. Meanwhile my family has had the mindset I’m not trying hard enough. My brother continually hits me with the “What do you want to do? I thought these volunteer experiences were temporary. You should just get a job abroad like Mexico and live for cheap.” I have to continually remind them I have $200 cash to my name and can’t just drop money on a flight or even bus as they are more expensive than people think. He pesters me like a parent that I need to keep applying to opportunities and jobs which bugs me to no end because of course that’s what I been doing?! It’s not like I enjoy the stress of not knowing if my next night will be on the streets.
Now I’m stuck without shelter tomorrow. I’ve called 211 and they were as helpful as they were the last time mentioning long wait times ect and giving me inaccurate data. The only local shelter with potential beds required a tb card which will take me several days for the negative result and the clinic to do the tests isn’t open over the weekend and yet the person helping me told me I’d be able to get in on Saturday as a new applicant. It seems everyone I’ve interacted with from friends, family, strangers, or supposed outreach and homeless support have no idea what this situation is like. They aren’t realistic and hold ideal versions to blind themselves to the reality the system is beyond broken. The help out there is broken. Traveling back from a Reno volunteer farm to Sac on a greyhound I found out the 900 bed shelter was at capacity and waitlisted as well as a dozen other and they still have the mind to criminalize those sleeping on the streets. Like where do they want us? They understand the barriers of entry to help and getting out of homelessness? I find myself losing faith in humanity and wondering how I make things work out.