Here's how you become homeless:

1. You have a mental illness that you do not manage with consistent psychiatric care, effective medication and healthy habits and you have no family or support system to help you and encourage you to manage the illness.

1a. Your family members have exhausted too many resources trying to help you. 

1b. Your family members have given up. There is, of course, a limit to what one can withstand before his or her quality of life deteriorates to an unacceptable, unsustainable level.

2. You get addicted to a drug and your life is quickly consumed by that drug. You are motivated by the allure of that drug. That drug is your new life's purpose. Everything you do, you do to acquire or maximize the effects of that drug.

2a. Your family members have exhausted too many resources trying to help you.

2b. Your family members have given up. There is, of course, a limit to what one can withstand before his or her quality of life deteriorates to an unacceptable, unsustainable level.

3. You get addicted to alcohol. (see above 2, 2a, 2b).

4. Ditto gambling.

4a. Pay your landlord or pay your loan shark? Your landlord will put you on the street. Your loan shark will put you in the hospital.

5. You are poor, unskilled and undereducated. You live with your mom, but you are not on her lease. Your mom dies. You are evicted.

5b. Numbers 2 and/or 3 occur.

6. You are gay. Your dad doesn't want a gay son.

7. You are an undereducated undocumented immigrant with no clue how to maneuver in American society.

8. You work a job that pays less than a living wage, but you split the rent with your girlfriend. Your girlfriend dumps you.

8a. Ditto boyfriend.