How One Man Hacked His Way Out Of Homelessness
In November 2011, Marc Roth spent the last of his savings on new work clothes. Two months after moving to San Francisco in search of a sales-engineering job, he had finally secured employment, and a six-figure salary, at a Web development company. But when Roth reported for his first day of work, the company stalled. Two days later, they told him he no longer had a position.
The lost opportunity was just part of a string of bad luck. Roth’s car—his home at the time—was robbed and its windows broken. He had to quit his temporary job, at a pizza restaurant, because nerve damage prohibited him from standing for extended periods of time. Finally, on December 1, Roth found a bed at a city homeless shelter.
Roth applied for welfare and began moving between shelters. That’s when he overheard a conversation about TechShop, a workshop whose members receive access to tools, education, and other resources. Roth spent nearly all of his city-assistance cash on a membership.
