I didn't actually feel "homeless" in a bad way. Someone we knew usually had a place where we could crash. And some source of food and money. Weed and LSD were always available, and sometimes psilocybe and peyote. But then, this was decades ago, before "homelessness" became a thing.
As the article points out, only a third of homeless are addicted, so the problem is not really about the homelessness itself. It's about losing hope and being alienated by your own community. I always wondered why so many homeless people like to flock around where it's crowded.