> I personally know a guy who was homeless for over 15 years. He would soundly agree with Stossel's take. His opinion is... if I can attempt to summarise in a few words, that homeless people nearly universally choose that lifestyle, and if you ever give them a 100% guaranteed way out of it, they will run the other direction as fast as they can. I suggest you re-think your opinion of Stossel based on that segment.

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> that homeless people nearly universally choose that lifestyle,

I'm sorry but I can't really let that slide. A lot of homeless people aren't homeless because they chose that lifestyle and your anecdote doesn't change that fact. A lot of homeless people (roughly half of them) have serious psychological issues that make them barely able to function normally in society, this is why a significant number of war veterans are homeless. Don't make me started on people of all sorts or people that are unable to have a home because of their history (former criminals, illegal aliens, ...).

https://www.bbrfoundation.org/blog/homelessness-and-mental-i...

Few people would chose that lifestyle willingly, certainly not "universally".

I slept rough 2 times in my life, in dangerous places, and it was already bad, I can't imagine having to do that for months or years.