Thanks for bringing attention to this crucial topic. I was moved by your story. I was homeless myself for a short while. Luckily, I live in Sweden,where we still have a kind of welfare society, although in sharp decline, and the city provided me with a sublet apartment. Before that I Iived in a shelter with junkies. The only reason I ended in that situation is that there is a really severe lack of housing in my city, Gothenburg. There is still the persistent myth that homelessness is caused by social problems, but this is increasingly false, rather, much as you say, homelessness creates other problems, like alcoholism, drug abuse and mental health issues.
Upvoted, resteemed and followed.