‘The Things We Take for Granted’: User Says They Survived More Than a Year of Homelessness by Living in a Storage Unit

On the r/confession subreddit, user u/wildnightout shared how they survived more than a year of homelessness by living in a storage unit. They said that they were using a gym membership for showers and spending their days searching for work. In the comments, they asked others to share similar experiences of finding unconventional places to sleep when they had nowhere else to go. The user said they rented a storage unit after becoming 'homeless and unemployed.'

While collecting unemployment benefits, they said they had just enough money to cover the storage unit's rent. The user said that arrangement lasted for more than a year.

And according to the post, the arrangement lasted for more than a year. The user said they also had a gym membership mainly to use its showers, and spent most of their days at parks and libraries while applying for jobs. Eventually, they managed to re-enter the workforce and afford to rent a one-bedroom apartment.

Reflecting on the experience, the user wrote, "The things we take for granted, simply having running water or a toilet."

The post had received over 7,500 upvotes at the time of publication. In an edit to the post, the user added that the facility was somewhat remote and that they only slept in the unit during cold or rainy weather. Otherwise, they slept in a tent. They also said they came and went during rush hour or busier times.

Storage units are not designed as residential spaces, and this account does not establish that such arrangements are safe or permitted at other facilities.

Still, many people in the comments related to this account as they faced housing instability themselves. Several described sleeping in university buildings, offices, cars, and other places while trying to get through difficult periods. One said they had lived in an office while pursuing a master’s degree. Another recalled being homeless during their undergraduate studies and using a university’s 24-hour library and study pods to get by.

One commenter said they had a friend whose family could not afford housing, so they used to keep his belongings in a dorm room, let him shower in student bathrooms, and sleep in a student lounge. He later found work with a professor who gave him access to an office. Others said they had to sleep in cars or empty campus spaces.

One commenter wrote in support: "We do what we gotta do to survive."

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in this post. The details above reflect the account as shared on r/confession by u/wildnightout. Storage units are not designed as residential spaces, and this account does not establish that such arrangements are safe or legally permitted at other facilities.