Oh, and it took me about a month to actually find a place.

I think it helps to know the city a bit. I found my last living situation on Craigslist. It was a full basement with a living room, access to backyard and private bathroom in Petworth for 1350 plus utilities, but there were rooms in that house with a shared bathroom ranging from 750-900 plus utilities if I remember correctly, so it’s definitely possible with your budget. Facebook is probably another good place to find community.

Just be careful, because they’re a LOT of scams out there. Use your best judgment and I think you’ll be fine.