Bottom line. In this economy, if you are homeless, you simply refuse to work or leave magnet cities that have a good dole. Usually its dope. But a fair number do it because it’s fun and an easy way of life.
Most are actually psychotic or addicted to booze etc
Drug abuse, including alchoholism, and mental illness are the leading causes of homelessness. Economic deprivation not caused by the two leading causes is a third cause representing a much smaller population. Recreational homelessness is negligible.
I know a homeless person in San Diego. We went to school together and we connected on FB. You can’t afford rent in SD and why would you when you can just live in a tent. He’s a cook and doesn’t make enough to rent a place. I doubt he is interested in doing anything except stockpiling cash until he can afford a place in Arizona.
That is, until typhus, cholera, and plague show up.
I believe there is another possibility in addition to the two traditional reasons you note.
The “homeless” have homes. They dwell in tents situated on public lands. These people are actually squatters.
The reasons for squatters can be debated but the likely reason is in fact the lack of or prohibitively expensive housing. Even if they do work, their earnings are in adequate .
In the totalitarian California Utopia, it is the duty of the state to care for all the needs of these people including the squatters. The purpose of the utopia is to not have such situations.
The California rulers have failed their most basic obligation
And many are homeless because all the mental hospitals are gone.
We used to have compassion for the mentally ill. Now we just dump them on the streets or in jails and prison.
I disagree. Being homeless is neither fun nor easy.
Many of the permanently 'homeless' are in that situation because they DO NOT WANT any RESPONSIBILITY for ANYTHING.
At the Sepulvada dam near the 101 & 495 freeways are parks that were swarming with homeless. The Daily News paper said in area there were over 100 people. Some living there for years.
Today they are almost all gone. The last month there was a crackdown by the lake and Bull creek. I walked around and saw only 2 people that I thought had that bum look. The plastic tents were all gone. They were even cleaning up the debris floating in the creek.
About time!!