Safety Tips for Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness: Protecting Your Well-being

Homelessness presents unique challenges, especially when it comes to ensuring your safety. When you’re in survival mode, the concept of safety might seem distant or even unattainable. This article focuses on how to stay aware of your surroundings and take proactive steps to keep yourself safe, no matter your current situation.

Stay Aware of Your Surroundings

Homelessness can manifest in many ways, including sleeping on couches, in shelters, in cars, or even on the streets. Each of these situations carries different risks, and the steps you take to protect yourself may need to vary accordingly. The first rule of staying safe is awareness—being alert to who is near you, where you are, and what’s going on around you.

• Shelters may offer safe spaces for your belongings, like lockers, while couch-surfing requires you to protect your things creatively.

• If you're sleeping in a car, you're likely more secure than if you're on the street, but a tent or subway provides minimal protection.

Always trust your instincts: if something feels unsafe, it probably is. Trusting your gut and leaving potentially harmful situations can prevent more serious dangers.

Staying Safe While Couch-Surfing

Couch-surfing may offer temporary relief, but it can also pose safety concerns. Often, you may be staying with people you don't know well or who have their own personal issues, which can make the situation unpredictable.

Tips for Staying Safe:

• Keep your most important belongings (ID, papers, medications) with you at all times.

• Always be aware of any uncomfortable advances, whether emotional or sexual. Never feel pressured to offer intimacy in exchange for a place to stay.

• If you feel unsafe, trust your gut. Leave the situation quickly and inform a trusted friend or family member of your location.

• If you’re alone, use your phone to let someone know where you are and what’s going on.

Staying Safe on the Streets

When you're forced to sleep on the streets, safety becomes even more complicated. There’s little you can do to keep from being harassed or stopped by authorities. However, there are steps you can take to minimize risks:

• Stay in well-lit, populated areas. This increases your visibility and may deter potential harm.

• Stay with other homeless youth to reduce the likelihood of exploitation or violence. There's safety in numbers.

• Hold your belongings while you sleep, including shoes, to avoid theft.

• If you feel uncomfortable with anyone near you, move to a different spot and suggest the same to your friends.

• Consider carrying pepper spray (if legal in your area) to protect yourself.

Staying Safe in Shelters

While shelters are often seen as a safer option compared to the streets, they are not without their own risks. Not all shelters are the same, and some might even mix different age groups, which could lead to dangerous situations for young adults.

Safety Tips for Shelters:

• Research and talk to others about shelters before choosing one. Youth-specific shelters tend to be safer.

• Avoid shelter drama or politics, as getting involved in conflict could jeopardize your safety.

• Secure your belongings by either keeping them on your person or locking them up.

• Consider taking a self-defense class to give yourself tools to protect yourself if needed.

Trust Your Gut

Above all, one of the most important safety tips is to trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is. You are the best judge of your own safety. Whether you’re in a shelter, couch-surfing, or on the streets, always make it your priority to remove yourself from situations that feel unsafe, even if you can’t fully explain why. The longer you stay in an unsafe environment, the higher the risk.

Conclusion:
Living with the uncertainty of homelessness can make you feel vulnerable and unprotected. However, by staying aware of your surroundings, trusting your instincts, and using practical strategies to protect yourself, you can create a safer space for yourself, even in the most uncertain situations. Always prioritize your safety and well-being above all else.