So this isnt entirely mental health based but it’s giving me a whole pile of anxiety and some tips/stories/ideas might help reduce that. Basically, I’m moving into low-income housing(government owned places that have lower rent) for the first time, and in my head, everything I own is about to get ruined.
I have lots of family who live in these types of places and they are rampant with rot, mold, vermin and insects which is a huge systemic problem on it’s own, but I really treasure my belongings because I’ve always been careful with money so I could buy good quality, lifelong things. The thought of moving there and having my family heirlooms eaten by termites, my clothes filled with bugs, or my computer rusted out from the moldy leaks is A LOT. It feels like just to escape where I’m living right now, I have to sacrifice a lifetime of work and effort I’ve put in to be able to have reliable things.
Anyone with experience living in such a place… tips to keep my things safe? What methods did u use? Idk
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Hello,
I can imagine the worry of moving into your new place. It’s really tough to think that your possessions might get damaged.
For pests I would recommend setting up a cleaning/due diligence schedule and plan to regularly move some furniture away from walls and such to check for bugs. Setup a vacuuming routine and get a pest control spray - just one that you apply to the perimeter of the room would help keep them away. The home I live in has termites and we have to look for evidence of them regularly and we have pest control come out if there is signs of new tunnels. It’s not a problem unless we let it go.
As far as leaks/mold goes I can’t give too much advice. May be a good idea to buy a roll of nylon plumbing tape if you are having shower leaks or anything like that. We had to do that when we moved into the house as they didn’t use it when they put in the shower heads. You just un-screw the shower head and then apply the tape and then screw it back on.
I just hope you know you aren’t alone and even if you live in a low income housing you can still have a nice home. Good luck on the upcoming move!
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From: Ashley- (Discord)
Hi friend, and thank you so much for sharing with us.
Hi friend thank you so much for sharing with us. (For some reason my reply via discord didn’t come through in full)
I agree with the comment from above, definitely schedule time in to deep clean your space. Also don’t use cardboard boxes for storage they can be water damaged and chewed through. Tightly sealed plastic bins are your best friend. For cleaning solutions/mopping, use things that don’t have a sweet/floral scent. Those can attract insects more than they actually repel them. Also I think it would be super helpful for you to make a list of the most important things you have to pack this way you can prioritize the things you want to keep the safest. It’ll help keep everything organized and make things much less stressful for you!
I hope this advice helps and I wish you the best of luck on your move.
-Jedi
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From: DanMakesHisMark (Heartsupport) (Discord)
You deserve to live in a safe place where your needs are met. I’m sure there are some local services that could help you out w/ this situation as I’m sure a lot of this goes against basic health/living codes. I would try to reach out to the city managers office and make a complaint. You’re loved.
Definitely will need to make some lists then… Still worry about gaps in plastic containers though so hopefully I can find some stuff to keep the bugs out that won’t accidentally bug bomb me at the same time. Good tip on the floral scents <3
Thank you Dan <3 it does go against housing codes here, but unfortunately if you complain, they just move you to a new building. Spend a few days there and you find out that place is infested with something else… It’s happened to my family members this way for decades. It’s sad to see those in need treated this way but this is how it’s run so this is what I have to learn to manage.