For them, they view the alcohol itself as their biggest problem, but are otherwise safe. They've often severely messed up their support systems but aren't completely devoid of friends and family.
They portray AA as the absolute last ditch: if you have any other way to quit, do that. You go to AA when you're desperate and nothing else works.
That would leave you incredibly vulnerable and prone to predation, especially if you're poor. For the people I know, it makes them emotionally precarious but have at least some resources for getting the rest of their lives back together. It would be incredibly easy to take advantage of them, and I'm sure in some places it happens. (AA varies a lot from meeting to meeting.)
Still, this is a much more fortunate set of people than the ones you're talking about. I hope they find something. I know people for whom it has worked when nothing else did, but it's no guarantee.