# What if I started a squat in my hometown just for the summer?



## SiCK cada (Dec 25, 2021)

So I've kinda given up on making plans. Since I've started traveling, over half of the plans I've made to go certain places and do certain things ended up not happening because of something else that came up. But I still like to idly wonder "what if I did this?". So here's my latest "what if?"...

Right now, I have a vague desire to go back to my hometown in (southern) Illinois for the summer. My dad said he could get me a job working in construction with him if I did. So if I am able to get a construction job for the summer, I'll be staying there for a while to build up my funds while its warm. 

I have people I can stay with there, but I'm starting to worry I've been a freeloader so I'm gonna try to figure out my own housing. I was thinking I'd try to rent, but I don't think I can afford that, honestly. and at that point there wouldn't even be a reason to get a job there. I've done a little math, and I could just go and break my back doing some more carny shit for a while and save up the same amount of money in a shorter amount of time. 

SO... What if... I started a squat while I was home? I've been looking around at squatting information. and it seems simple enough. if I'm only planning on being in town for a couple of months (from about April at the earliest until September at the latest?), it would probably be ideal. 

I know there's certainly houses around town that I could squat in. abandoned and run down. I just need to find them. I could even fix them up a little bit. maybe put some of that construction knowledge I'd be learning to good use! 

So I've been looking at Zillow, specifically, to look at some pre-foreclosure and foreclosed homes. they're all listed as "Judicial", though, which I have heard is not what you want. I get the feeling I'm actually gonna have to walk around town and find some homes that 1.) clearly no one is living in and 2.) clearly no one has lived in for a while.

I already have some ideas of some neighborhoods I would check out. 

I kinda have this idealistic vision of like... having a little garden... cookouts with dumpstered food and firepits... filling it with furniture from off the side of the road... I know that's a lot to ask for from a squat. all you should really ask for is a place to sleep, and that's not even guaranteed. one well placed phone call and you're out, pretty much. But if there's one thing kids like me are good at, it's dreaming! 😁

if anyone has any tips for me, they are absolutely welcome! or if you just wanna slap some reality into me with comments like "you absolutely should not have cookouts or firepits outside at your squat" and such, those are also welcome! There's almost definitely a lot of things I'm failing to consider. And even more things that I am considering but just don't know enough about. 

I'm gonna keep reading online about squatting. I know that I'll want to be able to show a cop some proof of residency if one does show up. I'd like to figure out how to turn utilities on, if possible, but I don't think that would be absolutely necessary. It'll for sure be something I'll have to feel out as I go. 

I'll try to update here if this idle dreaming goes anywhere 😁


----------



## ERSK (Dec 27, 2021)

Cool idea man and I'm no expert on the matter. In my squatting experiences I've only ever stayed a night or two to a week at most or the squat had already been established but I have some friends that have gone the try to make it legal route and getting it tied up in the courts type thing.

I think for one I would, if it were me of course scope out the neighborhood. That might go without saying but you know kinda get a feel for the neighbors and weather they might be cop callers or not. ( like for bbqs and firepits.) Next once you've gotten your place I think getting some mail there like some sort of electronic typed address mail. maybe a bill or a bank statement so you can change your address on you ID to having the address of the squat. Now your gonna have to be evicted if you get caught or the cops called because you've established that you live there.

Laws may very from state to state but I think this would be first steps and also this sounds like a really cool idea. looking forward to update and if any of this stated above goes against STP rules admins just lemme know, thanks


----------



## Matt Derrick (Dec 28, 2021)

It's certainly possible, depending on what you find around your area. Also keep in mind that you could possibly also just rough camp for the summer while working a job as well.

For example, one of the times I came back to Austin, Texas (because there's always good jobs here) I arrived on a greyhound bus; after a quick trip to walmart, I had a fairly large tent for $35, and I knew roughly where a good section of woods was where it was unlikely anyone would find me. I built a bike at the local bike coop, and fortunately for me while I was away, the city built a new bike path right by where I had planned to camp, so I had an easy way into town. I biked to work each day (a low-level tech job that i had to dress up for) and showered at planet fitness every day (cause I was biking about 10 miles a day and austin is hot) and it was a pretty chill way to spend six months saving up money. of course it wasn't all 40oz's and rainbows, there was good days and bad days, but so is life.

so anything is possible really, it just depends on your attitude and how you approach it.


----------



## ERSK (Dec 28, 2021)

That's pretty cool @Matt Derrick, I enjoy Austin. Got some buds been living there like the past 8 years so I like to visit. Really good swimming spots all around and I like that it's a good city for cycle deliveries meaning you can actually make a living there delivering and I new it was a big tech hub. Houston too if I'm not mistakin..

I was curious as to the tech work you had done, I too work in tech mostly freelancing on upwork. Preferably back end like scraping and blockchain dev but I was also teaching coding too and like Shopify / Wordpress maintenance but yeah, I try to enjoy the freedom of this type of work if you feel like sharing


----------



## coyote mogollon (Jan 29, 2022)

SiCK cada said:


> So I've kinda given up on making plans. Since I've started traveling, over half of the plans I've made to go certain places and do certain things ended up not happening because of something else that came up. But I still like to idly wonder "what if I did this?". So here's my latest "what if?"...
> 
> Right now, I have a vague desire to go back to my hometown in (southern) Illinois for the summer. My dad said he could get me a job working in construction with him if I did. So if I am able to get a construction job for the summer, I'll be staying there for a while to build up my funds while its warm.
> 
> ...


Most long term squats generally are middle to larger cities as, #1, small towns folks have eyes on EVERYTHING, and #2 cops in smaller cities/ towns aren’t used to and can be real ducks with squatting. I’d look for a structure that has obvious signs of long term abandonment, and an ingress egress that’s hidden from view. You might get by a few ms in that sitchiation . Also doesn’t this site have a basic how to of squatting? If not lemme know I’ll locate an old HOMES NOT JAILS how to on squatting online


----------



## SiCK cada (Mar 10, 2022)

UPDATE: I have found a condemned house. the side of the house is basically missing, but has been covered with plywood. I'm gonna go back later with my dad and see if he would want to work on it with me. If he says yes, I'll start looking into my local laws and see if I could get legal ownership somehow. if he says no, I'm still gonna look at the laws and such but I'll try to be a bit more stealthy.


----------



## Matt Derrick (Mar 10, 2022)

nice keep us updated, id like to see how that pans out.


----------

