I don’t understand this about being “on the streets demanding appropriate housing” and “not getting normal protections afforded most city residents.” If they want “appropriate housing,” the thing to do is to seek it out and PAY for it, not demand that someone else give it to them. Too expensive? Then move to a less-expensive community. No doubt “most city residents” pay for their own places—places that are required to meet safety codes if their residents are ordinary people (i.e., not the “creative” type). If you’re talking about fire department service, there’s not a lot that even a nearby fire department can do for a dry old wooden building filled with paint and solvents but no sprinklers or smoke detectors.
I first saw in in my adventures in urban substituting. So many of my peers were college educated (even advanced degrees), intelligent, hard working. There just weren't enough full time jobs, and they were living on substitute pay. There were some for whom that meant being in an apartment in Parma with a wife and two kids.
I see these people as victims. Why doesn't a city such as Oakland have a place for them to live and work safely with affordable rent?