Hang in there! You never know the path that will lead you home until you wind up on it.
I, too, wrecked some seriously sweet credit from the time I met my EX. By the time we split I had a bankruptcy to my record and had a rock bottom credit score. He walked away smelling like a rose. Grrr. Like you, I had to accept those were my choices from doing what I thought was right at the time. Now I know better and now I do better.
Fast forward 3 years later, and I have brought my credit score back up to almost as it was - yes it can be done even with a bankruptcy - and I am on the cusp of buying my own home even with only making a meager salary.
I'm in a small town outside of a metropolitan area and the US Department of Agriculture offers grants for low income, low score housing loans. I was in the same position you are. I couldn't qualify for an apartment because of my income even though I had a good score by that time and couldn't afford the high rents anyway and still have enough for food etc. Owning a home for me is actually better than half the cost of renting especially considering the subsidies USDA offers.
Check them out online for your area. Maybe you will find some benefit there like I did.
I also had great luck checking out modest homes for sale sitting vacant and called realtors to see if their clients would be interested in renting or renting to own. I found more than one promising opportunity that way, but ended up finding the USDA grants and decided to go for my own place.
Hope my story inspires you to keep trying!
Alice