As a youth coordinator years ago, I had several students who were homeless. One resorted to prostituting and eventually became HIV positive on purpose to receive welfare benefits. Here in NYC that's not uncommon. It's about 30k a year in cash, food stamps, rent subsidy, Medicaid and other agency incidentals....you'd be amazed at how much free stuff poor people can get just for being poor.
I would not recommend HIV in NYC, Chicago, san Francisco for hasa benefits, but it happens in 30 days, street to apartment. However one must consider every person develops their own strain of HIV so there's no guarantee anti viral meds will work for you. The life expectancy is 27 years IF, big if, you don't develop complications. The problem is you're walking through life with a compromised immune system, something will get you eventually or more commonly the anti virals are a form of poison as they try to attack and suppress something attached to your "warrior cells" that fight infection, making HIV so pernicious.
That said my student had to choose between homelessness and shaving time off his lifespan, about 30 years. He will conceivable start hitting his wall/timer at about 54 if he lives that long. Other teachers, friends died at about year twenty. HIV is a very slow death sentence in that it undermines you in form and treatment.
That being said. Alone, penniless, . S. You have to weigh losing time vs safety, a home. If you're fifty or older, it's almost a no brainer....sad to say.
Rental of a room is about $150 in NYC cheap, $200 plus higher end.
$800.
Food stamps are $150 per person.
$950.
Clothes for work $100 at Goodwill for a starter wardrobe of white, blue dress shirts, slacks, a coat a suit.
$1050.
Carfare $ $125.
$1175.
Average job wage, $9 x 40 equals $360, always claim 5 to 8 dependents on w4. Anything lower is loaning government interest free cash and if you're making less than 30k you're poverty close...so your weekly check is about $300. The problem is it's just enough at $1200 a month so folk shack up with someone for more economical reasons than love and you have to tolerate treatment and travel at a low end job.
Welfare or HASA can seem attractive because you're likely not getting vacation or able to save. But its a basic number if you wanted to help a person for three months to get them on their feet.
$800.
Food stamps are $150 per person.
$950.
Clothes for work $100 at Goodwill for a starter wardrobe of white, blue dress shirts, slacks, a coat a suit.
$1050.
Carfare $ $125.
$1175.
Average job wage, $9 x 40 equals $360, always claim 5 to 8 dependents on w4. Anything lower is loaning government interest free cash and if you're making less than 30k you're poverty close...so your weekly check is about $300. The problem is it's just enough at $1200 a month so folk shack up with someone for more economical reasons than love and you have to tolerate treatment and travel at a low end job.
Welfare or HASA can seem attractive because you're likely not getting vacation or able to save. But its a basic number if you wanted to help a person for three months to get them on their feet.
I've often thought an associates degree and a food stamp card for every adult in America, with a sugar, soda, processed for limit...like WIC...would uplift the country's citizens tremendously out of permanent poverty. that 2 trillion a year we spend on supporting a military 15 times bigger than any other on the planet would cover it. We'd still have a trillion left over to bomb countries and a populace educated enough to assist.
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