no, i think it is rarely a personal choice, although a series of bad choices could lead to it. there are a large number of people who can not navigate the complexities of society but who could do fairly well in a more structured environment, where they were expected to work to the extent of their health and abilities, leaving time for family, recreation etc. but not much for lounging. i personally fall into this category. they should be fairly easy to provide for.

they need to be sorted out and triaged. the police or some sort of security operation need to be handed the violent criminals and those heavy into some drugs and alcohol. the violent, criminally insane ones can not be handled without strong security. they can not be handled by church groups, garden societies etc. once they are out of the picture, the rest, even those with non-violent mental illnesses, are not that hard, unless they are contagious with tb etc.

a small community can not provide very nice shelters because they will be flooded from afar. it needs to be national.

everyone will say studies prove people do best with housing. well, of course they do. what do you do in the meantime? a tent in an enclosed area, with a storm shelter, with showers and toilets, and security cameras and security guards would suffice in a number of places for a number of people, on a temporary basis. it is easy to get food in..think of the school lunches thrown out each day. problem is always plumbing, but with creative composting, filtered burning, things become possible. if we can put a woman on the moon we can figure this out. some tent encampments do quite well policing themselves etc. many veterans would find this a familiar lifestyle. you need shelter from extreme cold and heat and storms. you need protection from vermin, wild animals and human creeps.

if people were screened as to violence, contagion, drug and alcohol use, you could house many of the non-violent in national parks. they always need to be supervised, inspected, removed into more security situations as needed. there are county fairgrounds. there are unused schools and dying strip malls.

i wish we worked on this instead of getting a tax break.

my bottom line....keep working toward good housing for all. in the meantime, get them out of the doorways, out of the rain, into something. guarantee everyone enough food and shelter so they do not have to steal etc. to stay alive. expect that the able-bodied will work at something, parks, painting properties, cooking for each other etc. and adjust their benefits accordingly..again, if they are able.