3x RULE(ofthumb) bending

[Frank Mooradian]

So here's something crazy. I'm homeless. I relocated from FL back to my lovely homeland of Chicago, thought I had a place through Facebook Marketplace, & got ghosted as I drove here. My credit is 695 with 100% on time payment but high utilization, & I arranged a FT job before coming. It's about 2500 a mo before tax, or like 1900 after.

I've been looking for a place for a month now, & have found that the Craigslist & FB Marketplace listings for single rooms are pretty much a joke or either outright scams. The official listings I've been looking through on Apartments around 900-1100 have all denied me from not meeting this income requirement. It seems insane to me, as my monthly recurring expenses are $375 before food, & $110 of that is Public Storage, so it's $265 once I move in.

How strict is this 3x rule (OF THUMB)? How can I possibly convey responsibility to a landlord if not through the 100% on time payment on my credit report? How can I get past this rule (OF THUMB) & hurry the end of this being homeless so I can get back to pursuing my tech career...& finally do a friggen house hack!