That's why Vienna mixes subsidized housing and regular housing, often in the same building. They also allow families to stay in their housing or purchase it as long as they pay the higher rate related to their rising income.[1]

The problem in the US is that there is no gray area for subsidized housing. As soon as you hit some magic number, you lose all of your benefits. The people who game the system to stay under this number are not stupid, but acting rationally because they know their new job may not stick around. They would rather have housing security than take a chance at losing everything and living in the street until their tax return shows that they are poor again.

[1] https://www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/2019/09/housing-basic...

I'll take social housing over the homeless problem you get in countries without large social housing stock 100x.

Maybe some % of people just aren't going to break the cycle. I'd still rather they aren't homeless and causing decay on the streets.