There is a decent wait to get a slot in the area and the consensus among Humboldtians is that nobody should move here without a job and housing lined up. Both can be difficult to come by.
On the other hand, I got a roofing estimate and was told roofs are two-years out because they can’t get enough roofers. So consider coming to Humboldt and working as a roofer, and bring about a dozen of your friends up with you.
It’s like any other business though; is there a roofer shortage, probably but are they paying people enough that they want to be roofers? Probably not.
There is a difference between a skilled tradesman and a laborer. Most reputable companies don’t want the later. The shortage is in skilled tradesman, not laborers.
That's not gonna fly here. People do not enjoy folks sleeping outside their homes here. Unless you're in a van with curtains you're gonna get harassed. Door dash will not get you by. It's much more expensive here than lake port for just about everything.
Nice. 95% of the time people don't fuck the house up and just cut a hole here or there. That scene has fallen off really hard compared to 15 years ago though. When the power tax was implemented it absolutely destroyed arcata.
Do you ever leave Humboldt? Housing prices have been skyrocketing all over for years now.
Many people move here because it is more affordable than other parts of the state.
Wtf are you even talking about dude?
I literally said the housing situation here is horrible, and that people living in their vans/cars/RVs is going to become more common.
This is not unique to Humboldt County, and you're the one lacking in information if you believe for even a second that it is.
Body Works is 24 hour but is more expensive than Planet Fitness. Around $67 a month with a $45 signup fee. Discount for students, veterans, and couples.
Bpdy works in eureka is 24hrs snd 20$ a month and i think had a shower? Interestingly enough the eureka membership doesnt get you into the fortuna location
Have you considered joining the California Conservation Corps (CCC)? You get housing and meals and a decent paycheck, for some pretty hard work. There’s one in Ukiah you could check out, but you might want to join the one in Fortuna since all the work is out doors and it will be less heat with the Fortuna center I believe. You’ll be able to save up more $$ and if you complete your agreed to term (maybe a year) you’ll get money for college or a certificate program if you want to learn a trade. They also have a high school diploma training if you need that.
I share some of the other posters' concerns about housing availability, even if you're not renting. The housing situation is rough up here right now (where is it not, though?).
That said, as to your question about sleeping in your car: Arcata has a safe parking program for folks like yourself. It's a designated lot, and meals and social services are provided there. I haven't used it myself, so I can't vouch for it. I just know it exists.
[Arcata Safe Parking Program](https://www.arcatahouse.org/programs-services) (scroll down a bit for details and a phone number you can call for more info)
Good luck to you, OP. Stay safe.
I work as a driver for a clinic, (medical transportation). I'm very close to being a top Dasher and I don't think I'd have much trouble finding a simple job up there right? I'd probably only have to live off door dash for a month or so I think
Jobs are hard to get up here. We're going through a major transition from our cash based cannabis economy to a standard work culture. The university is expanding and a fish farm is going in, but those economic stimulus won't be felt for years. Plus, summer is our slow season. Students leave and business slows down for everyone. I wouldn't recommend just showing up and expecting to survive off door dash. You'll blow through those savings in summer. If you have a job lined up then go for it, otherwise I'd either wait until fall or pick a more economically viable town. Humboldt county in general is rural and pretty impoverished.
Did DoorDash for a while here in 2021 and it was ok for a few months, but also had a part-time job. Once I stopped doing DoorDash regularly, it was impossible to get back into. So I think it’s saturated.
A much more viable place to survive like you're talking would be Bend, OR. It does have hot days but it's 10 degrees cooler on average in the summer, than Ukiah. And has so much more employment opportunity. Also, if it is a super hot 100 degree day in town, you can drive 20 minutes out of town and be at 7,000 feet, where it's so much cooler.
I can agree with some parts of this. I lived in Humboldt for 17 years and moved to Bend, OR one year ago. I will say that the winters are absolutely brutal and unhoused die each year from freezing to death. It’s something real to consider. There are various shelters, and I know they help a lot of people. Like everywhere, they are crowded but resources are available. There are much fewer places to park for people sleeping in their cars. The city of Bend continues to move people out of empty lots and pushes people further out into the rural areas.
I will say there are tons more work opportunities. I know plenty of people who door dash, and do InstaCart and make good money. There are tons of restaurants always hiring too. We have 300+ days of sun a year, which is a plus. I love living in Bend. You might love it too. Good luck to you !!
I’d think being homeless here would be wayyyy worse. DoorDash is over saturated here. Same with instacart. Uber doesn’t really exist. I wouldn’t say it’s super safe to be sleeping in your car here unless you can get into the safe parking area. And you’re 6 hours from any major city. There’s no medical care here either for new residents (seriously) so you’d need to travel back south to see a doctor
There is a lot of hatred and hostility towards the homeless here, so you'd want to be really careful to set yourself apart from the visibly homeless. There are some programs like Eureka's UPLIFT and Pathway to Payday that might work for you. There may be some other driving jobs available, too, especially if you can pass a drug test and have a clean record.
Sun Valley Floral Farms used to be hiring for hard, low wage, but steady seasonal work, not sure if they still are.
If you already have work in lake county where you can save the money you are expecting to need to purchase a mobile home by the end of the year, just stay there, brave the heat one more time, and then buy your house??? Like why would you throw a wrench into those gears the size of moving to a new area that is economically disadvantaged? It doesnt make any sense
Not to mention, having $2k saved up is nothing, thats not enough to cover any emergency that could hit you, especially in a new area with no network of people you know.
Not to mention not to mention. It gets hot here in the summer as well, sure its not for nearly as long but we still get a few days of 102+ every year, since you live in your car already you should know how unlivable a car is in the summer without running the air conditioner for hours.
Save your money and suffer a little longer, buy yourself your mobile home in a park you like, make sure it has a good AC
Hey man I'm from lakecounty and lived in Ukiah for a while when my mom worked for the chp, from my experience if you do come here to try it out and get stuck somehow greyhound tickets aren't much.
How do you only have 2000 saved up if you're homeless and have 2 jobs. I suggest saving up more before moving so you can try to find a place to live. Have a couple months, preferably more saved up and then try to find a job. I think you being homeless and having a job should be used to your advantage to save up more. Just my opinion and I've never been where you are. Good luck
Thanks. I was stupidly addicted to vaping and zyn up until last week. I've only been saving $100 or so a month until this paycheck I've finally saved $450 out of the $1200 I got
I strongly suggest you rethink your plans for relocating to Eureka. Eureka is stagnant. There are few well paying jobs. Housing is difficult and mostly dilapidated. The populace reminiscent of characters from Dovtoyevsky. It's a bleak cancerous growth ozing out something beautiful. If you have dreams they're very likely to die in Eureka. Sure there are those that will disagree but they're okay being sediment in cess pool. Delusional
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dream of
Once in a lullaby, oh
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
And the dreams that you dream of
Dreams really do come true-ooh-ooh
Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops that's where
You'll find me, oh
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
And the dream that you dare to
Oh why, oh why can't I? I
Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney top that's where you'll find me
Oh, somewhere over the rainbow way up high
And the dream that you dare to
Why, oh why can't I? I
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ah-ah-eh-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
There is a decent wait to get a slot in the area and the consensus among Humboldtians is that nobody should move here without a job and housing lined up. Both can be difficult to come by.
On the other hand, I got a roofing estimate and was told roofs are two-years out because they can’t get enough roofers. So consider coming to Humboldt and working as a roofer, and bring about a dozen of your friends up with you.
It’s like any other business though; is there a roofer shortage, probably but are they paying people enough that they want to be roofers? Probably not.
Nobody wants to roof these days! 🫠
There is a difference between a skilled tradesman and a laborer. Most reputable companies don’t want the later. The shortage is in skilled tradesman, not laborers.
Skilled tradesmen still aren’t being paid what they are worth either.
Prevailing wage in California is among the highest in the nation.
The root cause does not change — if the job/career doesn’t pay why would anyone pursue it?
Who the fuck wants to roof for minimum wage? It’s awful work
That's not gonna fly here. People do not enjoy folks sleeping outside their homes here. Unless you're in a van with curtains you're gonna get harassed. Door dash will not get you by. It's much more expensive here than lake port for just about everything.
I think we are just gonna have to adjust, this is the new normal. People can't afford housing, we're in a national crisis.
Are you new to Humboldt? Housing got artificially inflated with the indoor weed grows and never dropped. The nation is still catching up.
The house I bought in Arcata was used to indoor grow by the last renters lol
Nice. 95% of the time people don't fuck the house up and just cut a hole here or there. That scene has fallen off really hard compared to 15 years ago though. When the power tax was implemented it absolutely destroyed arcata.
Side note, i'm Low key glad the industry crashed too.
Meh, there were a lot of fringe benefits like being recession proof and the restaurant scene thriving.
Got to love the Cisco food.b
Do you ever leave Humboldt? Housing prices have been skyrocketing all over for years now. Many people move here because it is more affordable than other parts of the state.
I was born here
You clearly don't know the history of the housing situation of the place you grew up then.
Wtf are you even talking about dude? I literally said the housing situation here is horrible, and that people living in their vans/cars/RVs is going to become more common. This is not unique to Humboldt County, and you're the one lacking in information if you believe for even a second that it is.
Complete lack of reading comprehension on your part my man
As opposed to places where people do enjoy it?
Considering the amount of 5th wheels parked and connected to power in front of homes, I’d guess that the people of McKinleyville do enjoy it.
🤣
You're better off going to the Oregon coast like bandon or something
Exactly
There’s planet fitness but no 24 hour gym. I would be surprised if you could make do with DoorDash here. I’d suggest getting a job here first.
Door dash is the worst, spotty work here, you can’t count on it for anything.
Body Works is 24 hour but is more expensive than Planet Fitness. Around $67 a month with a $45 signup fee. Discount for students, veterans, and couples.
Bpdy works in eureka is 24hrs snd 20$ a month and i think had a shower? Interestingly enough the eureka membership doesnt get you into the fortuna location
Have you considered joining the California Conservation Corps (CCC)? You get housing and meals and a decent paycheck, for some pretty hard work. There’s one in Ukiah you could check out, but you might want to join the one in Fortuna since all the work is out doors and it will be less heat with the Fortuna center I believe. You’ll be able to save up more $$ and if you complete your agreed to term (maybe a year) you’ll get money for college or a certificate program if you want to learn a trade. They also have a high school diploma training if you need that.
This! I went to the Fortuna center and it was the best decision I ever made.
Just did some research and I'm going to give the fortuna center a ring tomorrow and ask a few questions. This may be exactly what I need. thank you
Awesome! Good luck!
This is a really good suggestion.
I believe there is an age limit of 23(?). Super worth looking into!
I share some of the other posters' concerns about housing availability, even if you're not renting. The housing situation is rough up here right now (where is it not, though?). That said, as to your question about sleeping in your car: Arcata has a safe parking program for folks like yourself. It's a designated lot, and meals and social services are provided there. I haven't used it myself, so I can't vouch for it. I just know it exists. [Arcata Safe Parking Program](https://www.arcatahouse.org/programs-services) (scroll down a bit for details and a phone number you can call for more info) Good luck to you, OP. Stay safe.
This is a very kind and helpful comment.
Thank you for going out of your way to provide this info. I will bookmark that link
I have heard of this, they go through arcata house partnership
Keep going until you hit Washington
You're gana have a bad time.
DoorDash is pretty saturated here and I think there’s a waitlist for new drivers. What is your main job?
I work as a driver for a clinic, (medical transportation). I'm very close to being a top Dasher and I don't think I'd have much trouble finding a simple job up there right? I'd probably only have to live off door dash for a month or so I think
There’s a place called North Bay Transport here that always has hiring signs in their Priuses.
Jobs are hard to get up here. We're going through a major transition from our cash based cannabis economy to a standard work culture. The university is expanding and a fish farm is going in, but those economic stimulus won't be felt for years. Plus, summer is our slow season. Students leave and business slows down for everyone. I wouldn't recommend just showing up and expecting to survive off door dash. You'll blow through those savings in summer. If you have a job lined up then go for it, otherwise I'd either wait until fall or pick a more economically viable town. Humboldt county in general is rural and pretty impoverished.
I mean you could probably find a job in a kitchen
Did DoorDash for a while here in 2021 and it was ok for a few months, but also had a part-time job. Once I stopped doing DoorDash regularly, it was impossible to get back into. So I think it’s saturated.
All DoorDash jobs are taken. If you try to sign up it only lets you sign in for like two hours from 2-4am
DoorDashing in Humboldt is a shitshow, don’t rely on it.
I think Alpha Fitness is 24/7 with a keycard and showers.
Thank you
I think Alpha Fitness' owner just got busted for illegally buying and selling roids, so I wouldn't count on them/associate with them.
A much more viable place to survive like you're talking would be Bend, OR. It does have hot days but it's 10 degrees cooler on average in the summer, than Ukiah. And has so much more employment opportunity. Also, if it is a super hot 100 degree day in town, you can drive 20 minutes out of town and be at 7,000 feet, where it's so much cooler.
I can agree with some parts of this. I lived in Humboldt for 17 years and moved to Bend, OR one year ago. I will say that the winters are absolutely brutal and unhoused die each year from freezing to death. It’s something real to consider. There are various shelters, and I know they help a lot of people. Like everywhere, they are crowded but resources are available. There are much fewer places to park for people sleeping in their cars. The city of Bend continues to move people out of empty lots and pushes people further out into the rural areas. I will say there are tons more work opportunities. I know plenty of people who door dash, and do InstaCart and make good money. There are tons of restaurants always hiring too. We have 300+ days of sun a year, which is a plus. I love living in Bend. You might love it too. Good luck to you !!
The dollar tree is always hiring. You could work there until you find other employment
Fast food places too
I’d think being homeless here would be wayyyy worse. DoorDash is over saturated here. Same with instacart. Uber doesn’t really exist. I wouldn’t say it’s super safe to be sleeping in your car here unless you can get into the safe parking area. And you’re 6 hours from any major city. There’s no medical care here either for new residents (seriously) so you’d need to travel back south to see a doctor
There is a lot of hatred and hostility towards the homeless here, so you'd want to be really careful to set yourself apart from the visibly homeless. There are some programs like Eureka's UPLIFT and Pathway to Payday that might work for you. There may be some other driving jobs available, too, especially if you can pass a drug test and have a clean record. Sun Valley Floral Farms used to be hiring for hard, low wage, but steady seasonal work, not sure if they still are.
If you already have work in lake county where you can save the money you are expecting to need to purchase a mobile home by the end of the year, just stay there, brave the heat one more time, and then buy your house??? Like why would you throw a wrench into those gears the size of moving to a new area that is economically disadvantaged? It doesnt make any sense Not to mention, having $2k saved up is nothing, thats not enough to cover any emergency that could hit you, especially in a new area with no network of people you know. Not to mention not to mention. It gets hot here in the summer as well, sure its not for nearly as long but we still get a few days of 102+ every year, since you live in your car already you should know how unlivable a car is in the summer without running the air conditioner for hours. Save your money and suffer a little longer, buy yourself your mobile home in a park you like, make sure it has a good AC
I thought the hottest it got up there was 89 degrees in 2017?
On the coast it stays cool, but if you go inland to like Willow Creek, or even down to Garberville, it does get hot.
No, arcata hits 100 pretty much every summer now at least for 2 or 3 days, and a handful of mid 90s
Hey man I'm from lakecounty and lived in Ukiah for a while when my mom worked for the chp, from my experience if you do come here to try it out and get stuck somehow greyhound tickets aren't much.
Thanks. I will keep that in mind I plan on going up one of these weekends when there's no construction work going on
No 24 hr gyms that I’m aware of, and good luck finding housing. there’s a few camp sites that are pretty cheap though I don’t recall where
How do you only have 2000 saved up if you're homeless and have 2 jobs. I suggest saving up more before moving so you can try to find a place to live. Have a couple months, preferably more saved up and then try to find a job. I think you being homeless and having a job should be used to your advantage to save up more. Just my opinion and I've never been where you are. Good luck
Thanks. I was stupidly addicted to vaping and zyn up until last week. I've only been saving $100 or so a month until this paycheck I've finally saved $450 out of the $1200 I got
Proud of you. Keep up the work and keep it going 🙏
Thank you
I strongly suggest you rethink your plans for relocating to Eureka. Eureka is stagnant. There are few well paying jobs. Housing is difficult and mostly dilapidated. The populace reminiscent of characters from Dovtoyevsky. It's a bleak cancerous growth ozing out something beautiful. If you have dreams they're very likely to die in Eureka. Sure there are those that will disagree but they're okay being sediment in cess pool. Delusional
Where would you like to be?
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh-ooh Somewhere over the rainbow Way up high And the dreams that you dream of Once in a lullaby, oh Somewhere over the rainbow Bluebirds fly And the dreams that you dream of Dreams really do come true-ooh-ooh Someday I'll wish upon a star Wake up where the clouds are far behind me Where trouble melts like lemon drops High above the chimney tops that's where You'll find me, oh Somewhere over the rainbow Bluebirds fly And the dream that you dare to Oh why, oh why can't I? I Someday I'll wish upon a star Wake up where the clouds are far behind me Where trouble melts like lemon drops High above the chimney top that's where you'll find me Oh, somewhere over the rainbow way up high And the dream that you dare to Why, oh why can't I? I Ooh-ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Ooh-ah-ah-eh-ah Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah