When will people learn to stop ratting on themselves? A couple that recently went viral for living inside a storage unit immediately faced eviction from the facility.
Source: mynewturtle / Getty
According to Complex, Leland Brown Jr. uploaded a video of himself and his partner illegally residing in a storage unit. The content creator began documenting his life last March on TikTok as he struggled to find adequate housing. Initially, the couple was dwelling in a tent in the woods in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles north of Philly.
Brown gave insight into their unfortunate circumstances on his GoFundMe page, “For 1 year my partner and I have been making a home in the woods, facing the uncertainties that come with this lifestyle.”
He continued, “Ongoing construction projects are forcing us to relocate, adding another layer of complexity to our situation.”
The couple eventually moved to a self-storage unit and Leland shared in the now viral video, “I live in a storage unit because it’s cheap in comparison to an apartment.”
In another vid he stated, “Me and my girl testing, we trying to figure out if this is good enough to be sneaky and hide and stuff. We’re trying to hide this s**t.”
Leland made his new living quarters as comfortable as possible, adding furnishings, including a couch and a dresser. He explained to his followers that he was “grateful” to be out of the elements and living “comfortably” in the climate-controlled building. Brown demonstrated how he exercised, used the restroom, and cooked meals. In addition, the pair had 24-hour access to the unit and the ability to charge their electronic devices.
“Me and my baby will live here as long as we need to until we can get the shelter that we want,” Brown said. “Because we’re living here, now we can save up more money to get what we really want. We’re in it for the long haul”.
When management stumbled upon the viral video, they forced the houseless couple to stop shacking up in the business.
“So we got kicked out of our storage unit,” Brown shared with his followers, adding, “So the higher-ups found out about my video. It went so viral — we ended up getting kicked out. We’re trying to figure out where to go and what to do with all of our stuff.”
He continued, “We’re gonna have to get a new storage unit. So, yeah. We got kicked out,”
Storage facilities are required by law to remove any individuals they find living within a unit and to maintain most insurance policies.
Brown expressed how “there was so much uncertainty” because he and his girlfriend had no idea where they would live.
“Now all we have is a tent and it’s freezing cold outside,” he shared with a defeated tone.
In Leland’s latest update, he shared a “lady [who] helps homeless people” paid for them to stay in a hotel for a couple of nights for free.
He stated, “I’m just grateful that somebody is thinking of us like that on that level and willing to give us their resources like that. We’re gonna have a good time and relax for once.”
The two seemed to be in good spirits as they prepared to eat food purchased with money the mystery woman donated.
The father of one works at a hotel. In a previous video, he shared plans to save enough cash for permanent housing. “The next goal is to get an RV– next goal after that is to get a tiny home.”
Brown stated that he shared their storage unit living experience to help others who may find themselves homeless. But some secrets are better kept under wraps until you can no longer be affected.
Anyone thinking about doing something similar — just keep the video in your drafts.
Wishing the two much luck as they journey out of homelessness.