I'm sorry to hear that you're going through this. I don't have an answer because I make above minimum wage and I still find it very hard to make ends meet. This is one reason why I'm still in debt. Living in CA is very expensive unless you make a lot of money which I don't. Prices increase but my hourly/commission that I earn stays the same. I think that there are some people who live with a lot of people so they can make ends meet. Some are used to sharing 1 bathroom with 10 people. I couldn't do this. I hope that things will get better for you. Good luck.