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lucidlilacdream t1_j4buytx wrote

Reply to comment by RealMainer in Homeless in Maine, part 2: Struggling to survive even with a paying job by benpinette

$300 a week is not more than enough to afford the current rental prices. Yes, this person has a drug addiction. Yes, addiction causes a ton of issues with homelessness and is a major problem and hurdle for a number of people. But, it’s not accurate to say $300 is more than enough. It’s out of touch with the price of the rentals right now.

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RealMainer t1_j4bwdpi wrote

I'm looking on several different rental sites right now to make sure I am not out of touch, and there are dozens of listing for under $1000, some even under $800.

On top of that there are tons of job openings for $15+ an hour. My drug addict brother just got a line cook job for $17 an hour, although he will undoubtedly quit after two weeks like he does all his jobs.

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lucidlilacdream t1_j4c0kky wrote

$300 a week is $1200 a month. If you found a rental for $800 a month, which is nearly impossible in any place 1 hour reach of Portland, you’d have $400 left for all of your bills. Heating alone would eat up that $400. Add a car and you are fucked, and the vast majority of Maine requires a car because we have shit transit. At $1000 you’d have $200 after rent. Most rentals are $1.2-1.6k a month.

You are living in a different time and under a rock if you think $200-400 a month is enough to live in after rent. It’s not 1970, it’s 2023 where eggs cost $6 a dozen and gas is $3.50+ a gallon.

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RealMainer t1_j4c2lej wrote

Plenty of places for rent in Lewiston for around $800. 30 minutes away from Portland.

But not sure what your obsession with Portland is. You know Maine is a huge state right? If you are homeless why would you choose to live in the most expensive city in Maine?

It's not hard to afford rent if you work $30-40 hours a week. Again, it sucks that rent eats up a lot of that, but that's why programs like food stamps, Heap, the rent rebate programs and Mainecare exist.

Sounds like your standards of living are just so impossibly high that you can't even imagine the reality of living paycheck to paycheck like many people do.

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Joeistall t1_j4d9bj6 wrote

Bro you just are clearly not in charge in your own budget.

Eggs have triples in price.

Wtf are you on.

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