How close are you to being homeless?

Have you ever thought about what makes a person get to a position where they are homeless? I have been on a mission trip to New York where we learned a lot about the homeless and then interacted in a positive fashion with those who were by giving them sandwiches and toiletries late at night when they had found a place to bed down. We found them on park benches, church steps, under bridges, in parks and on the sidewalk on cardboard beds. Many had all their possessions with them in a shopping cart or a backpack with a bedroll. Some were unfriendly and untrusting and many were receptive and friendly. I often wanted to hear their stories but it was not the time or the place. Since then I have asked a lot of questions and discovered many things. About one third of the homeless are dealing with some type of mental illness, about one third have a problem with substance abuse and one third just lost their job or got sick and couldn't pay the bills.
I had some time to rethink this recently as a friend of mine lost her job that she had held for over 5 years. She doesn't drive but was a reliable and well thought of employee until the economic downturn took her out. She is presently on unemployment and unable to pay for a place of her own so she found someone with a house that encouraged her to move in and pay a bit to help out. She gave the woman $200 a month and bought her own food and personal stuff. Unfortunately this lady stopped taking her meds that had kept her even keeled emotionally and she began to flip out. My friend had compassion on her and was a stablizer for the household but alas... the flipouts continued and she became aggressive towards my friend.
So the outcome is my friend was out on the street and unprepared to find an apartment she could afford. This friend is now staying in my tiny house on a trundle bed. There are others who could perhaps have helped but it may have crimped their style or their privacy would have been interrupted or maybe they were afraid. I cannot judge them but I have seen what the street looks like at night. "Not on my watch", as my little Metrie used to say when his brother cried. Her tears touched my heart deeply. Is it optimal? No, obviously not but is it right? Yes.