The only thing he told me was that he relocated to that city (and the conversation came up because it is here where I live now) in the 80's towards the end of what became known as the end of the biggest oil boom, and because he had no permanent residence, not much saved, and his job ended almost as quickly as he got there, he was on the streets for "a while". I didn't really expect someone to share that with me in casual conversation, so I didn't ask anything more. Could he have planned more? Not moved with out something more concrete? Yes there are lots of things out of some people's control, and hindsight is always 20/20, but I would say in a case like that, he was actually perusing a job and contributing to society, when an entire industry plummeted like the Great Depression.
Also the reality is, unless one does know a or several people that are or have been homeless, the reasons are not known. And assuming either way is just as reductive as the other.
When I worked in a convience store in St Louis, I was at one store for like 2 years before transferring. And there was a couple that pan handled on the busy street corner and made enough to live. They'd buy food/smokes/booze. Sometimes go to a few of the close by restaurants. And most nights had enough money to get a room in a nearby, albeit really cheap, motel. They literally made a living panhandling, but were still homeless. Just an anecdote to share of a story of one of the many of homeless people in the US.
Yes. My wife. Bi-polar and anxiety. In the years we've been married she only worked once, and that was out of necessity at the time. She was diagnosed back in 2007. We've done everything allowed by the country for us to do to try and get her on disability. This year we were turned down again. And I've only done that as it is getting harder and harder for me to support on one income. So no I am not some heartless poster that's just writing off all homeless people. Just trying to have a discussion, where it seems some aspects of are getting shut down and ignored.