November 20, 2025

The Cost of Rebuilding

Pathways to Housing PA

A SEPTA city bus passes in front of a historic brick and stone building with arched windows and colorful banners hanging along the sidewalk. The scene is overcast, giving the street a muted, moody tone.

Most of us have lost a wallet at some point. It is frustrating and inconvenient, but usually fixable. Maybe it had your driver’s license, bank card, a credit card or two, your insurance card, and some cash. You can usually open an app on your phone, order replacements, and have everything back within a week or two.

Starting over is very different when you have experienced chronic homelessness. The basic building blocks of proving your identity in the United States are your birth certificate and Social Security card. When you do not have stable housing, your belongings are not secure, and the lack of a permanent address affects nearly every part of life. Replacing something as simple as a state ID now starts with re-establishing those foundational documents first.

For anyone experiencing chronic homelessness, even the simplest step can turn into a weeks-long, sometimes months-long, process. You may have lost your birth certificate or Social Security card. You may not have a place to receive mail. If you’re carrying everything you own from place to place, it’s much easier for those important documents to get misplaced, stolen, or damaged.

Transportation is another hidden barrier. When you need several visits to secure the documents that allow you to apply for the next document, public transit fares add up quickly. Sometimes, public transportation might not be able to get you to your intended location. What if you don’t even have money for public transportation? For someone on limited income, these seemingly small costs can move resources away from food, medication, or other essentials.

Securing identification is only the beginning. Once someone has their ID and is able to work toward permanent housing, the next challenge is rebuilding a household from scratch. Most people move with the basics they already own via a moving truck. For someone exiting homelessness, every item must be found, purchased, donated, or delivered. Even when buying secondhand, it takes time, effort, and reliable transportation to collect what you need. Beds, tables, cookware, cleaning supplies, and bedding become major costs when you are starting from very little.

All of this takes time as well as money. Navigating applications, gathering documents, and traveling between offices can take weeks or months. These steps are difficult for anyone, but especially for someone who is trying to find stability without a safe place to rest and store belongings, or reliable transportation.

The financial cost of starting over in Philadelphia can reach several thousand dollars. The emotional and time costs are just as significant. Rebuilding your life after chronic homelessness requires patience and persistence, and it often asks people to overcome obstacles that most of us never have to consider.