You're screwed because of the application process. To get a place you need:
1. To have never had your name on a housing court case, even if it was found in your favor or you had a legitimate reason to be in housing court
2. A completed application including the contact information for your last two landlords who have to say nice things about you even if they were crazy/bad
3. Annual income at 40-45x the monthly rent, as reflected in your last two tax returns (hope you were making more money than you actually need to be able to afford the rent 3 years ago!)
4. Letters of reference
5. Months of bank statements
6. Pay stubs
7. Tax transcripts
8. Perfect credit (or 6 months of deposit-- you have $15,000 in cash for this, right? Oh it's okay, do you have a guarantor who makes 100x the rent (hundreds of thousands of dollars) that wants to put their SSN on your rent payment? Oh no?)
Getting approved for a tiny 100 sq ft studio is the same process as getting approved for a 10 million dollar loan. Normal people have no chance. Don't have your financial life in perfect order? You're garbage that doesn't have a right to live somewhere.