I'm not sure why you're getting downvoted. My experience of San Francisco is that a lot of the homeless people I saw had addiction or other forms of mental ill

I'm not sure why you're getting downvoted. My experience of San Francisco is that a lot of the homeless people I saw had addiction or other forms of mental illness. In this context, it clearly is not a 'choice' in the meaningful sense of the word. Having experience with an alcoholic who was incapable of escaping her situation alone, I think you make a very valid point.