It's not quite as simple as "persons per 1000 without a fixed address". _Yes_, strictly speaking this is the definition of homelessness (and this number was indeed around 1.2 at the last count in Norway), but the debate is in reality about the misery of the poorest in society.

No one will debate that a person without a fixed domicile that receives $800/month[0] by the state and is regularly encouraged to seek free mental health care, is much better off than someone that receives no financial aid and is forced to beg or eat trash in order to stay alive.

The situation with begging in Norway is complex and not a direct proxy for extreme poverty[1]. Do agree that better mental health treatment is required in large parts of the world, and that homelessness and poverty are complex and cannot be solved by simply paying someone to fix things.

What I was trying to say was that it is a problem that can to a large extent be mitigated, if there is a cultural will to do it. It is by no means a phenomenon that will always be unacceptably bad if some moderate measures are taken to alleviate it.

[0]: https://www.nav.no/no/NAV+og+samfunn/Kontakt+NAV/Utbetalinge...

[1]: https://tv.nrk.no/serie/brennpunkt/mddp11000617/18-04-2017, documentary following beggars in Bergen for two years. A large proportion is found to be part of specific human trafficking schemes.