A woman has revealed that she is homeless and has to live in her car despite working full-time, 40 hours a week, to make money “so I can eat”.
Retail worker Aaliyah, 22, admitted that she had to brush her teeth at work and use a local gym to take showers, before returning to her car to sleep - sometimes just two hours a night.
Posting her story on TikTok, she described her life saying: "you do your hair in the car or in a place that opens early so you can brush your teeth, take showers at Planet Fitness and wonder why you’re always so tired and barely smile."
The woman, whose post went viral told viewes in a video caption: “When you gotta work an 8hr shift 5 days a week and ppl don’t even know you sleep in a car."
She said that her situation left her exhuasted, addding: “But I’m still here to make money so I can eat and even get a hotel sometimes.”
After posting her heartbreaking story online Aaliyah, who works at Home Depot, became the victim of internet trolls who claimed she was only seeking attention and “faking homelessness”.
In a response to the attacks she posted another video showing the inside of her car, piled with her meager possessions. In the caption she hit back: “I’m running off 2hrs of sleep literally, I wish it was a f—ing lie.”
In another video Aaliyah says she captures the moment police officers searched her car, after claiming the “tint on the window was too dark.”
But the woman was able to find help after her videos went viral, being viewed almost five million times. Some of her viewers suggested she reach out to a scheme set up by her employer.
The Homer Fund is designed to support workers who are in financial trouble and they have agreed to help.
A delighted Aliyah shared a follow-up post, writing: “ “I wanna thank the Homer Fund and everyone who suggested it.
“With everybody’s support they reached out and gave me emergency funding to get a hotel for some time.
“Hopefully I’ll get permanent housing.”
