Is There a “Skid Row” in Every City?… I’m Getting Evicted and Need to Know…?

Um…it is going to be illegal to camp on public lands, and the owner of private property can call the police on you for trespassing. If you are in Columbus and feel like rolling the dice, I know that Ohio State University has a huge agricultural program. When I went there (admittedly a long time ago), a lot of the land reserved for the ag program wasn’t being used. You could take a shot and set up there, but you’ll probably get arrested when they find you.

I gotta ask, though…why would you be thinking about camping out in OH as the winter is approaching? If you set a fire to keep warm, you’ll likely get busted because people will see and smell the fire. If you don’t, you’ll freeze to death. Perhaps a shelter is a better idea. Contrary to popular belief, most cities have plenty of room in homeless shelters. The problem is that a lot of people would rather sleep on the streets than follow the shelters’ rules (specifically, no drinking or drugs and established lights on/lights off times). Many shelters also have facilities for you to shower and shave before a potential job interview, job placement services, and mailboxes you can use so you have a return address on job applications. Why don’t you stay at a shelter until you get another job…or are there other factors, like substance abuse, illness, or laziness?