When Car Living Is the Only Option

Small space living is not always a choice, but sometimes the only option. This is the case for Veronica Harnish, a former newspaper correspondent and current freelance writer, who ended up living in a 33-year old station wagon with 400K miles on it, because she lost her job and fell 3 months behind on rent. Unable to find a job or a place to live, she has become a car dweller and in her book Car Living When There’s No Other Choice: Tips & Strategies for Survival & Safety, she shares her experiences and offer advice to others, who are facing a short-term housing crisis.

Why did you choose to write this book?

I chose to write the book because with the economy continuing to be awful with no end in sight, and low-wage jobs, foreclosures, etc. We have no safety net inAmerica, and car living is happening at unprecedented levels all across the country. It’s downright scary for people, who’ve always had a roof over their head. This book lets them know not to panic, and that they can and already have handled most things, they’ll face. They just need to be alert, resourceful, and be able to think things through. They have to know, they can make it, and given specifics how.

How does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day depends on the weather, as it was late fall and winter, when we began living in the car. In bad/cold weather, I spent most of the day inside a gym I had joined, and in good weather, I would walk the cat for hours in abandoned fields and do shopping for food or errands. Each day, I spent 1-2 hours online looking for work, to no avail, because many full-time jobs aren’t advertised during the holiday season, and most part-time jobs were already filled by then.

We’ve been living in the car on and off since November 2012. I also lived in a car 10 years ago for about a month during the Spring in So. California when I couldn’t find an affordable place to live or a job in the San Diego area. I had unemployment income back then, so it was much easier than now.

The biggest challenge by far has been surviving the cold. The outside temperature is the same as the inside temperature of the car since cars aren’t insulated, and the car heater broke down years ago. There’s nothing worse than waking up in 20 degree weather with your windows iced on both the inside and out and your breath on the air. Even layers and layers of down blankets don’t cut the chill. Sometimes it’s just miserable. I can’t imagine doing something like this long-term with weather less than 20 degrees Fahrenheit consistently. I couldn’t afford a Mr. Buddy heater, which other car dwellers recommend. So it’s been miserable to be sure. My cigarette lighter plug-in also is broken, so I can’t buy and use an electric blanket for warmth, either.

The advantages were having complete control over your time and activities. No bosses, roommates, co-workers, etc. You have lots of meditative, contemplative time, which is great if you’re the introspective type, which I am.

How quickly things can change–for better or for worse. Freezing one night in the car, and unexpectedly having a place to stay for a week the next night. From okay financially to being financially wiped out by vet bills over Christmas. Vicissitudes at the time you can least handle them.

What would be your advice to other car dwellers?

Always save much more than you think you’ll need ahead of time, and if you don’t already have a credit card,  get one. It will save your life in many, many ways, whether being able to check into a motel in a snowstorm when it’s not safe to be in a car, or to pay for unexpected car repairs or vet bills. Not to mention gas, where prices here are roughly $3.40 a gallon.

The back of my stationwagon I’m living in is 73 cubic feet, which converts to 17.78 square feet. For comparison, a standard-sized coffin is roughly 13.41 square feet. The only way to possibly live in a space that small is to plan ahead of time and use space only for food, clothing and bedding, and a few toiletries. Otherwise, put everything else in storage, or more immediate things in your gym locker, which can usually be rented by the month. Think of immediate needs only, and not long-term. I was lucky in my large, ancient stationwagon. I’d hate to try this in a Prius or other compact car. Vans are obviously the best, but few people have them these days, and if you’re about to become homeless, you’re not going to be able to buy one. You have to work with what you have and make it work.

Find Car Living When There’s No Other Choice: Tips & Strategies for Survival & Safety here