a safe place to take along when I have to go

[VillaFaraday]

Hello everyone!

I'm excited to finally have found this forum. I've been looking for you all for a while!

I'm a disabled woman in my mid-50s, facing eviction from a 300 square foot inner city studio apartment that I've lived in for over three decades. Over the last year a new building owner has been terrorizing residents with sudden, unannounced demolition around our living spaces and the gas lines. My health is being severely affected, and now he wants to force his way into my home to do remodeling that would make me deathly ill, because I suffer from Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS). I'm on a fixed SSI disability income, living from check to check, so I have been trying to negotiate a buyout, to get some money to move, but he's refusing, so I'm simultaneously trapped here, and threatened with the streets.

Apartments that are both affordable and accessible to someone with MCS are about as common as unicorns, and I know many people who have lived in their cars as a result. If I had a car, I would have moved into it a quarter of a century ago, when I first got sick, because I've struggled to keep this place safe from chemical intrusions ever since, and have had to evacuate and find shelter elsewhere a number of times when I didn't succeed. Trouble is....I don't drive! And I shouldn't try to, because of neurological impairments.

So I'm obviously not likely to go full nomad, but after years of housing insecurity, I would feel a lot safer if I could have an accessible sanctuary that I can take with me whenever the toxic world catches up with me and I have to move again, so I do want some wheels that some kind person could tow somewhere else for me as needed. And I may at times need to park somewhere in an urban setting, so I need to be able to be a bit more stealth than I could be in one of those fancy tiny houses I can't afford.

I've been thinking about getting a cargo trailer and building it out to my specific disability needs. Since in addition to chemical sensitivity I'm also electrosensitive, an aluminum structure makes a lot of sense to me, because it would essentially serve as a Faraday cage. I think that I could live out my life comfortably in 16 x 8 feet, preferably with a little extra in a V-nose, and some extra height.

I have a friend in another state who is willing to let me stay a while and do a build there, but with my disabilities, and my need for someone to drive me, and my limited income, I need more time to organize my move than I'm likely going to have. So I think I need to first find some temporary shelter, preferably something small I can haul along when I finally make the long distance trek, that can fit in a small driveway or parking spot on the street. I anticipate that whatever I might be able to find with my limited resources, I will have to cover completely with foil inside to seal any chemical residues from previous users, and figure out how to hook into someone's internet with a long ethernet cable, because I can't use any sort of wireless technology (I'm on a dial-up connection now, so please bear with me as my response time may be a bit sluggish).

Any creative ideas for how to find what I need to get out of here safely, or how to make the best use of this forum with my slow internet connection, would be very much appreciated.

 

[maki2]

I am sorry your life is in such a mess but nomadic living cannot solve everything humans come up against.

Kind souls cannot just drive your car and trailer. You would have to hire a company for that. A company which has liability insurance to cover the driver and your vehicles as you will not be able to provide it.

Independence financially and physically is an essential for this lifestyle.

For instance in a rural location how are you going to be able to get to a store for build materials or even groceries if you can’t drive? It is an essential that you live in a place with public transportation if you can’t drive.

 

[bullfrog !]

Maybe you could make a small area inside your present apartment and filter/treat/vent/line it to create a space while work is done around you. Tnttt.com has several small trailers that are built from installation foam some of which is already foil on one surface. Air Conditioners and heat can be vented or ducted to a fresh air sources as well as filtered. Paul Elkins site might be of help as in his Burning Man structures as well as his trailers that are pulled by electric bicycles some of which can be enclosed somewhat. If you needed to you could built it like a tent that could stand on it’s own or fit in a room while being transported in a tote by a bicycle/recumbent trike or mobility scooter with a light weight trailer or even a dolly. It might make temporary stays in a motel or your friends place possible until you can get your trailer built out or your apartment redone. It is possible to hire someone to tow your trailer but difficult to find someplace to park long term in urban areas cheaply. Keeping it light weight and portable would be the problem.

 

[Gr8ful]

I'd see if the Dept of Human Services could help find you a suitable place to live.
Also foam sheets & spray foam off gasses some pretty bad chemicals.
The good news is I recommend Bullfrog as the Handyman for the build as he does great work & works cheap! (Sorry BF I couldn't resist)

 

[bullfrog !]

I would imagine there are coatings available to prevent those problems. I live remotely for a reason! Lol!!!

 

[Gr8ful]

We have an 1890s house & I think the wood lath, plaster & oak have out gassed by now.

 

[RonDean]

I would document everything as completely as possible and then seek legal help. It sounds like the owner is illegally trying to force you out.

 

[user 22017]

Any creative ideas for how to find what I need to get out of here safely, or how to make the best use of this forum with my slow internet connection, would be very much appreciated.

I wasn't aware that there is housing available for people with MCS. No idea how long the waiting lists are, though. Here are a couple links:

https://www.eiwellspring.org/multiunit.html
http://www.safehousingdallas.com/details.html

 

[maki2]

I would imagine a person would also need to have a letter of qualification from a physician showing that the MCS has been verified in order to get into such housing.

 

[LargeMarge]

...[guaranteed permanent income] SSI...
...have had...
...I...want some wheels...some kind person could tow...stealth...
...aluminum... 16 x 8...
...small I can haul...
...how to find what I need...

.
a)
I trimmed your autobiography.
Hopefully, somebody might be able to assist based on the basics.
.
b)
I give this suggestion to everybody, gimps included:
* look at aluminum horse-trailers.
This gives you protection from intrusive pulses and waves.
This provides a clean environment, without treated woods and petroleum-based carpets/upholstery/insulation.
And the commercial intent behind the build -- farmers, ranchers, trophy/show people -- offers a substantial improvement in durability and longevity compared to any factory RecreateVehicle.
.
c)
To move your TinyHome, look for advertisements by trailer transport companies.
I would avoid going cheap with the neighbor's kid.
.
d)
re -- "stealth"
No such thing.
* Anybody living on wheels instantly recognizes everybody else living on wheels... because their life depends on it.
* Any LawEnforcementOfficial instantly recognizes a vehicle used as a residence... because their promotion depends on it.
* Anybody in any residential neighborhood automatically sees any unknown vehicle as a threat... because their lives depend on it.
* Any business owner or property owner instantly sees any vehicle dweller as a threat to their investment and to their customers... because their livelihood depends on it.
* Every goofball living in a bush or under a bridge instantly knows every occupied vehicle... because their life depends on it.
.
In my opinion, anybody claiming they are urban and invisible... I think 'delusional' is appropriate.

 

[user 22017]

I would imagine a person would also need to have a letter of qualification from a physician showing that the MCS has been verified in order to get into such housing.

From what I have read, there is no diagnosis for it, but maybe the housing application requires proof that you have been seeing a doctor(s). Diagnosis is self reporting. From WebMD:

There are no reliable tests to diagnose multiple chemical sensitivity, and there are no effective or proven treatments.

The question is whether MCS is an illness. Health experts don’t agree on that. The American Medical Association doesn’t consider multiple chemical sensitivity to be an illness.

https://www.webmd.com/allergies/multiple-chemical-sensitivity
WHO doesn't accept it as an illness yet, either.

I saw one (MCS) housing unit in California yesterday that said it was HUD housing. Also said it had a years long waiting list. I was surprised it said HUD.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

.....
I give this suggestion to everybody, gimps included:
* look at aluminum horse-trailers.
This gives you protection from intrusive pulses and waves.
This provides a clean environment, without treated woods and petroleum-based carpets/upholstery/insulation.
And the commercial intent behind the build -- farmers, ranchers, trophy/show people -- offers a substantial improvement in durability and longevity compared to any factory RecreateVehicle.

Unfortunately, horse trailers won't work for signal blocking: not total coverage (all surfaces needs to be metal) and gaps are too big.
For cell signal blocking one needs full 6 sided coverage with gaps:

< 1/4 inch gaps for ~70% attenuation (1/10 wavelength of 5G).​

< 1/8 inch gap for 95+% blocking.​

other sized gaps depend on wavelengths one is trying to block.​

Also, used horse trailers are a mess: animals pee and poop in them and the floors are bare wood. Bottom sides get corroded too.

As to EHS and MCS:
You probably already know about this but I'll post just in case.
https://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=1183771

 

[maki2]

There likely will never be a MCS approved automobile either as they all have a lot of plastics, other artificial materials and lots of adhesives and chemical products used in them. It is pretty much a fantasy that an actual MCS sufferer can travel and/or live inside a vehicle. Even batteries have plastic housings. Wiring is also plastic coated to insulate it.

 

[jacqueg]

Here's a book writren by a woman with MCS about living in a cargo van -

https://www.amazon.com/Camp-Like-Girl-Wellness-conversion/dp/1535200545/ref=sr_1_1

 

[RonDean]

From what I have read, there is no diagnosis for it, but maybe the housing application requires proof that you have been seeing a doctor(s). Diagnosis is self reporting. From WebMD:

There are no reliable tests to diagnose multiple chemical sensitivity, and there are no effective or proven treatments.

The question is whether MCS is an illness. Health experts don’t agree on that. The American Medical Association doesn’t consider multiple chemical sensitivity to be an illness.

https://www.webmd.com/allergies/multiple-chemical-sensitivity
WHO doesn't accept it as an illness yet, either.

I saw one (MCS) housing unit in California yesterday that said it was HUD housing. Also said it had a years long waiting list. I was surprised it said HUD.

It also appears that when double-blind tests were performed there were...

"No differences between the groups with regard to sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were found. Cognitive performance was not influenced by solvent exposure, and did not differ between the groups. There was no difference between the groups in serum cortisol levels measured before and after exposures. Conclusion. The hypotheses were not confirmed." https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15563650701742438

I absolutely embrace science over feelings, so if it were me I would seek assistance from a medical professional for dealing with the perceived symptoms.

 

[Morgana]

I would not be too quick to judge based on one medical article -- quite often different studies get different results, especially when a specialty field is not fully mature yet -- and there are enormous differences in the validity of results depending on for example the type and size of the study. And there have been many discussions in this forum recently about people who are not satisfied with the medical care/advice they've received, for various reasons. Remember how many people blew off Long Covid at the start; now it's apparently taken very seriously.

That said, it's important to be realistic about //what kind of support you can expect to get// from the courts, social services, etc., if this condition is not broadly recognized by the medical establishment. <<< note that I'm only GUESSING that that's the case from what I've read here, I don't KNOW if it's true.

A medical social worker might have better ideas what resources are available -- knowing about resources is what they do.

Individuals and groups focused on this specific issue might be your best bet, though, especially if the condition is not currently recognized by the medical establishment.

People here have a wide variety of skills and can help you with many aspects of this challenge, but I hope you are also reaching out to specialized forums and self-help groups that know about this specific issue -- and to doctors and social workers and the like to make sure you have gotten all the help that's available.

 

[KarlH]

There likely will never be a MCS approved automobile either as they all have a lot of plastics, other artificial materials and lots of adhesives and chemical products used in them. It is pretty much a fantasy that an actual MCS sufferer can travel and/or live inside a vehicle. Even batteries have plastic housings. Wiring is also plastic coated to insulate it.

Chevrolet P30 stepvans from the '80s or early '90s had much less plastic trim. Even the dashboard face is metal.

But they still have rubber door and window gaskets, a plastic duct for the heater (removable), various plastic knobs (replaceable), and some plastic parts inside the steering column for things like the turn signal switch.

But I think it would at least be possible to make them not off-gas into the interior.

 

[TooFarGone]

Here's a book writren by a woman with MCS about living in a cargo van -

https://www.amazon.com/Camp-Like-Girl-Wellness-conversion/dp/1535200545/ref=sr_1_1

I looked at that book listing on Amazon, and read the excerpts available there. I don't believe the author had MCS. She had suffered from illnesses caused by exposure to mold, and had sensitivities to mold and "biotoxins." But as far as I could tell, she didn't have adverse reactions or sensitivities to a broad range of chemicals in general. She had to avoid mold and certain biotoxins. She was able to drive and live in a cargo van, and as has been mentioned, vehicles contain plastics, electronics, and products manufactured using heaven knows how many chemicals.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Chemical outgassing is a function of temperature and time and decays exponentially. So the older the vehicle and the longer it has stayed in hot temperatures = much less outgassing. I would doubt a 20+ y.o. vehicle outgassing would be detectable.

 

[RonDean]

I would not be too quick to judge based on one medical article -- quite often different studies get different results, especially when a specialty field is not fully mature yet -- and there are enormous differences in the validity of results depending on for example the type and size of the study. And there have been many discussions in this forum recently about people who are not satisfied with the medical care/advice they've received, for various reasons. Remember how many people blew off Long Covid at the start; now it's apparently taken very seriously.

That said, it's important to be realistic about //what kind of support you can expect to get// from the courts, social services, etc., if this condition is not broadly recognized by the medical establishment. <<< note that I'm only GUESSING that that's the case from what I've read here, I don't KNOW if it's true.

A medical social worker might have better ideas what resources are available -- knowing about resources is what they do.

Individuals and groups focused on this specific issue might be your best bet, though, especially if the condition is not currently recognized by the medical establishment.

People here have a wide variety of skills and can help you with many aspects of this challenge, but I hope you are also reaching out to specialized forums and self-help groups that know about this specific issue -- and to doctors and social workers and the like to make sure you have gotten all the help that's available.

Morgana, I agree that basing an opinion on a single source is not good science. Nor did I. Every single source I could find where a scientific study was done that excluded a possible placebo effect came up empty. There was simply no evidence that this condition actually exists. I only posted one link to provide a something other than my own "feelings". I could have as easily posted a number of sources.

It is also true that later studies could provide a different result. This is true of everything.

I knew when I posted that I would sound insensitive. I am sorry for that. My suggestion still stands.