None of the top comments here address the most obvious reason for homelessness (for those without addiction/mental issues): the ridiculous of cost of housing in

None of the top comments here address the most obvious reason for homelessness (for those without addiction/mental issues): the ridiculous of cost of housing in the West. I moved from Toronto, Canada to Kiev, Ukraine last year. There's far less homelessness here, despite the lack of social safety nets, and it's obvious and palpable (much safer streets - I feel completely safe walking around at night). Simple reason? If you speak the local language (Russian/Ukrainian), you can find a basic apartment for $200 / month, or a room-sharing agreement for much less. A university dorm room sharing with 3 people costs about $30/month. Yep, $30. It's not subsidized. Although salaries are much lower here too (average $500/month), rent is still so affordable that any basic wage labourer or taxi driver can afford to put a roof over their heads for themselves and a partner (even 1 kid). No wonder there's so little homelessness, and even my taxi driver is happily married with kids. There's something wrong with Western society when you need to work multiple minimum-wage jobs just to pay rent.