The ‘Almost Homeless’ Subreddit Is a Stark Glimpse at Soaring Wealth Inequality
Key takeaways
- As of 2025, the wealthiest 1 percent in the US control $55 trillion in assets, roughly equivalent to the net worth of the bottom 90 percent of Americans combined—with those households continuing to fall further behind.
- Shaun, 41, tells WIRED that he’s currently “cowboy camping,” or sleeping in the open, in Payson, Arizona.
- Scotty, 39, lives in a decommissioned ambulance he got from a friend who was formerly homeless.
Why this matters: a development in AI with implications for how people work, create, and decide.
Photo-illustration: Jacqui Van Liew; Getty Images Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story One Reddit user writes about living in their car and running out of money for gas. Another says they’re going to be evicted in 48 hours and will have to give up their dog. Many are waiting on federal disability insurance payments that seem as if they will never come. Somebody asks if Richmond, Virginia, has any decent homeless shelters. And everyone agrees that social welfare services have been stretched to the limit—where they still exist at all.
These are the posts you’ll read on Reddit’s r/almosthomeless, where people trade tips and moral support as they face the prospect of living on the street. With a subscriber base that has swelled from 69,000 to 85,000 in the past year, according to third-party analytics tools, it’s one of various online communities for those pushed to the brink by financial struggles, whether due to a poor job market, illness, injury, addiction, or the need to escape domestic violence. Here, they can share their experiences without judgment and come away knowing how many others are in the same boat.
“The ground can give way beneath any of us,” reads the subreddit’s description. “Here, we build bridges, share maps, and steady each other’s steps.”