As you stated, it's primarily due to mental illness. But, that then begs the question: who are the mentally ill? When did the illness manifest itself? Surely, we can trace a 30-40 something homeless drug addict to the point when they were just a regular 17 yo high school "student".
IMO, the people who are the mentally ill drug addicts today where the HS stoners & losers. In other words, low IQ - and the recognition of such - afflicting the 5-10% on the left side of the bell curve. Actually, it probably goes back to 3rd grade, when dumb bullies where already being ignored and/or punished by teachers. The differential between favored students, and those relegated to discipline, begins really early. Those on the losing side - which typically come from dysfunctional families, as IQ is primarily hereditary - know their outcome from an early age.
Smoking, alcohol, drugs, petty crimes, etc form group association links with other losers. The establishment of some kind of identity, no matter how anti-social, is a key component of ego. The problem really becomes pronounced when these HS kinship groups move apart. The 20s are typically spent as raging alcoholics and drug addled fringe criminals. Some time in jail, maybe even prison, by the 30s seals their collective fates.
By the time they hit their 40s, there's really nothing left. At that point, they're operating at less than a wild animal. You can see them on days like today, not minding being stuck in the elements, as long as they can scrounge enough digging through garbage to afford a $5 hit of meth.
And, as one would suspect, being a mentally ill homeless drug addict isn't really a long term career. It's why you never see any older than 50 or so; death catches up quickly. It's also why the population is actually pretty stable. That is, local geographic regions may see an influx, but the overall population is growing any faster than any other segment. That's because for every new addition to the ranks, death takes away the older homeless at the same rate.
Not native born, just most of my adult years (now 80) have been spent in California. That gives a me little different perspective than the native born citizens/observers.
Having said that, the homeless problem is caused by many of the problems, issues and realities you point out in your reply.
During the Obama recession, we saw some younger homeless on our streets.
Now, after a couple of years of if you can breath, talk and get to work on time with the Trump economy, you can have a job at about any age.
The homeless are back to the mid aged ones, barely staying alive. Also, we saw more homeless women during the previous recession.
You posted, “By the time they hit their 40s, there’s really nothing left. At that point, they’re operating at less than a wild animal. You can see them on days like today, not minding being stuck in the elements, as long as they can scrounge enough digging through garbage to afford a $5 hit of meth.
And, as one would suspect, being a mentally ill homeless drug addict isn’t really a long term career. It’s why you never see any older than 50 or so; death catches up quickly. It’s also why the population is actually pretty stable.”
My grand dad was one, who studied the winners and losers in life. He died in 1957 at the age of 80. He had seen the Great Depressions, recessions, dust bowls and many economic turn downs, 2 World Wars and the Korean war. He often said “You don’t see many old hobos, criminals and only a few old drunks. That was then and is now, Darwin’s way of thinning and culling the human herd.”
Now, I am 80, and like my Grand Dad feel that “Unfortunately there is a certain % of people, who just can’t make it in life a hundred years ago up to today.”
Nothing we do seems to change that sad reality.