A released prisoner shared the chaotic state of the house he had squatted in after his family refused to welcome him back.
The man, who resides in the US East Coast, posted a photo of the messy room on the subreddit r/MaleSurvivingSpace.
"Lofts of abandoned house where I've been living since getting released from jail and getting dispossessed by my shyster family," he wrote.
Highlights
- A released prisoner squatted in an abandoned house after his family refused to welcome him back.
- Reddit users encouraged the man to clean the space, saying it would improve his mental health.
- The man cited fear of being reported by neighboring workers as a reason for not using the dumpster.
The picture shows a blanket on a hardwood floor surrounded by various objects, including empty plastic bottles, wrappers, and a trash bag.
The photo sparked concern on Reddit, with many users encouraging the unnamed man to clean the space and insisting that a clean environment would improve his mental health.
Image credits: Freepik (not the actual photo)
"A clean living space can calm your mood, give purpose, provide a sense of accomplishment, and more. Even if it's abandoned, you can clean it. When life seems out of your control, you'd be surprised how encouraging it can be to clean what mess you can," one user wrote.
The OP explained that he didn't put the trash in a dumpster out of fear of being reported.
"Unfortunately, the nearest dumpster is shared with a small office building, and I'm worried the handful of workers there might get Sus at seeing bags they didn't put in.
"My building is nicely situated and totally abandoned, but it is also covered in graffiti and highly conspicuous in how derelict it is."
The man, who lives on the US East Coast, said, "Freedom is more important than comfort"
Image credits: Freepik (not the actual photo)
"How are people this dirty?" a separate Redditor asked, to which another sarcastically responded, "I imagine most people who live in abandoned houses are too worried about keeping the place clean…"
Others were quite surprised by the items found near the man's bed.
"Not a can of baby formula," someone commented.
"Damn, bro, you're sleeping with your head 3ft away from an open piss bottle?" said another.
The OP said he believes that "freedom is far more important than comfort" and insisted that he "doesn't care" about having a bottle of urine in his room.
Then, someone who went through a similar experience advised him to start small with the cleaning process. "Clean 5 items, or a part of the room and maybe you'll have the motivation to clean the rest. Take any job you can get, spend wisely or save to better your life! At least you have some shelter."
The photo shows several wrappers, empty plastic bottles, a can of baby formula, and a trash bag near his bed
Image credits: MaleSurvivingSpace
Not knowing where to begin when rebuilding one's life is a significant challenge many ex-offenders face after leaving prison. This includes struggles to find employment, take care of their mental health, and find a place to live.
Many parolees rely heavily on their families for support and assistance as they transition back to free life, according to a study published by Rebecca Naser and Christy Visher in the Western Criminology Review.
"Having a roof over my head and a door and stairs between me and the streets makes sleeping much safer," said the OP.
"Most people have no desire to squat in an abandoned building; most of those who do are too scared to try anyway."
He added: "I don't care about clean; what I care about is having access to the stuff I need."
Image credits: MaleSurvivingSpace
As the OP shared, he was charged with "Harassment by Electronic Mail" and "Stalking" after sending "angry" Facebook messages to his cousin.
He claimed that he never went anywhere near his cousin, but he was sentenced to jail and denied bail because officers found his social media history threatening.
"Public Defender said the fastest way out was to plead guilty and, since I know the system is rigged to f**k normal poor guys like me, I decided not to waste time trying to get a trial."
Now, he's living in an abandoned home, where he plans to remove the stairs and tie a climbing rope around the upstairs door to prevent intruders from disturbing him or claiming the space.
The man was charged with "Harassment by Electronic Mail" and "Stalking" after sending threatening messages to his cousin
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)
In the US, squatting is illegal, and squatters can be evicted for trespassing.
Despite the lack of legal authorization, squatters may claim rights to the property through a legal concept known as adverse possession.
This allows squatters to gain legal ownership of the property if they occupy it openly, continuously, and without the owner's permission for a certain period, which varies depending on the specific laws of the state.
Ex-convicts rely heavily on their families for support and assistance as they transition back to free life, according to a study published in the Western Criminology Review
Image credits: Matthew Ansley (not the actual photo)
New Jersey and Louisiana have squatter laws requiring the individual to have lived on the property for at least 30 years. Meanwhile, Florida and Montana require the individual to have occupied the property for less than ten years.
The adverse possession doctrine aims to encourage the proper use of land and resolve disputes over land ownership.
Additionally, some states require the squatter to possess a deed or to have paid taxes during their occupancy to claim legal ownership of a property.
People encouraged the man to clean the space, stressing that doing so would improve his quality of life
