Where Can Homeless Sleep

The safest places to sleep, unsurprisingly, tend to be indoors. Warm buildings in nice areas that are equipped with state-of-the-art security systems and heaters, for instance, are the least dangerous places to sleep. These places keep you warm and the bad guys out.

But if you’re homeless and have no other choice but to sleep outdoors, knowing what places are safest is your best and only option.

So here are 8 safe places to sleep when homeless:

8) TENTS

If temperatures get below freezing in your area, sleeping in a tent is essential. Tents can provide relief from frosty winds and rain and snow. That can sometimes make the difference between hypothermia and frostbite.

Inside tents also are a safer place to sleep than outside them because they provide a shroud of mystery to anyone with ill intent who may come across you. Being that a person can’t see who is inside, people are less likely to act maliciously because for all they know, the person who is sleeping in the tent may be a world-class bodybuilder or look like the type of person who you don’t want to mess with.

Finally, tents keep the snakes and coyotes from bothering you while you sleep. If you need to lay your head someplace where wild animals roam, a tent may be the best way to go. Tents keep you and the wildlife separate.

So the first safe place to sleep when homeless is a tent.

7) VEHICLES

Of course, vehicles provide some of the same benefits as tents but with some additional benefits.

Not only do vehicles provide shelter from the icy cold, hide your identity, and separate you from dangerous or creepy crawly things, but vehicles also provide a way to lock doors. Being behind locked doors while you sleep sure feels good.

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When I was homeless for the first year I slept in a van. I always felt safe there because I was able to lock my doors. After my van got towed because it broke down and I was unable to move it, I remember wishing that I still had it because I was no longer able to sleep behind locked doors.

So another safe place to sleep when homeless is a vehicle because you can lock your doors.

6) HOMELESS SHELTERS

In addition, homeless shelters are often safe places to sleep.

These places often have security and surveillance systems set in place. Sleeping in a homeless shelter is also the warmest place to sleep among your options.

So if you have a local homeless shelter that is willing to take you in until you get back on your feet, that homeless shelter is another safe place to sleep while homeless.

5) CITY HALLS

Some cities even allow homeless people to sleep in front of city hall.

Sleeping in front of city-designated buildings like a city hall is safer than not sometimes because, knowing where the homeless sleep, law enforcement patrols. They keep an eye out for you while your eyes are closed.

So another safe place to sleep when homeless is in front of a city hall.

Check with your local authorities to see whether your city designates a safe place for the homeless to sleep.

4) TRANSITIONAL HOMES

Another safe place to sleep when homeless is a transitional home.

These are usually places designed to get the homeless back on their feet. In the city that I live in now, we have two of them. Your city or town might have a couple as well.

Transitional homes are safe to sleep in because they have 24-hour staff that watch out for you while you sleep.

So perform a quick web search for “transitional homes for the homeless” to see if any are available in your area.

3) CHURCHES

Another safe place to sleep when homeless is a church.

Some churches open their doors in the evening to allow homeless people to sleep in them.

Churches are great because they are full of God’s people. Some churches even provide food to the homeless upon waking.

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It would be worth it to stop by a few churches in the morning and ask if they have any programs for the homeless.

The next two places may be obvious but are often the safest.

2) A FRIEND’S HOUSE

Nowhere compares to the safety of sleeping in the home of someone you know and trust.

We often rule out sleeping at a friend’s house because we don’t want to burden them or we are embarrassed to reveal our situation. But good friends understand. They may have even been in a similar situation before themselves and so will be glad to help you out.

Go through all of your contacts both on your phone and on social media. Maybe you can find someone who will let you crash their spot for a few days.

1) A FAMILY MEMBER’S HOUSE

The final and safest place to sleep when homeless is at a family member’s house. Chances are that if you are homeless, you may not have good family members to count on.

But don’t rule anyone out. Perhaps when faced with the fact that you will be sleeping outside if not on their couch, a family member will come to the rescue.

At the very least, let everyone in your family know that you are homeless and have nowhere to go.

One of them might step up to the plate and take you in temporarily.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Sleeping inside buildings is usually safer than outside them. Many reasons for this exist.

buildings protect against hypothermia

Hypothermia, occurring when the body is unable to keep a healthy temperature due to extremely cold weather, kills about 700 homeless people each year (✓1).

buildings protect from dangerous people and animals

Another reason why when homeless sleeping inside buildings is generally safer than sleeping outside them is that they protect you from dangerous people and wildlife.

Random attacks of violence on homeless people by the non-homeless are rare but they do happen. Keeping yourself behind doors prevents these.

Acts of violence by other homeless people, however, are more common. When I was homeless, for example, I was attacked by a homeless couple while sleeping because they came back to their tent and decided that I pitched my tent too close to theirs.

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I don’t think that that kind of thing happens very often, but, as was the case with me, it can be a danger. So choose a building over the streets if possible. Go to a homeless shelter, or try a little harder to land a spot on a friend or family member’s couch.

buildings protect against wildlife

Not only does a nice, warm building, separate you from the aggression of other people, but sleeping inside a building also protects against dangerous wildlife.

Also when I was homeless, I came inches away from being bitten by snakes frequently. A rattlesnake bit my dog, in fact, and the vet couldn’t do anything to save him.

Coyotes, too, pose a minute danger to homeless people. You might wake to one sniffing around your blankets. If you do, just remain calm and still. They usually don’t attack humans, but the chances that they will increase if feel threatened.

So if you are unable or unwilling to stay at a homeless shelter or a house of a trusted friend or family member, be on the lookout for dangerous wildlife.

sleeping far from people is safer than near

Another principle to keep in mind when deciding where to sleep is that places that are isolated from people are generally safer than those that are not. This principle derives from the recognition that most threats to safety involve the presence of others. A person cannot be attacked, for example, if no other people are around.

Thus, sleeping alone in a field, even though it may seem dark and scary, is often safer than sleeping out in the open like on a sidewalk next to other homeless people.

So long as you have a working phone to contact emergency services in the event of an animal attack or something else unexpected, places that are secluded rather than popular are generally safer for homeless people to sleep.

In some cities and towns, however, no good, secluded place to crash exists.

You may live in one of those areas and so are forced to sleep amongst other homeless. Rest assured though that most homeless people are kind and safe.

You may be best, however, checking that your neighbors don’t have a problem with you sleeping next to them. Like everyone, where a homeless person sleeps often feels like home to them. You don’t want to make one feel like you are invading on their territory.

In short, when homeless, sleeping inside a building rather than outside one is generally safer. But if you have no choice but to sleep outdoors, a secluded spot rather than a popular one is usually the least dangerous.

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