>And for me, as an outsider, it seems ridiculous to consider the US as a country of "subsidies for living expenses".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_housing_in_the_United_S...

>Isn't the US notorious as being basically the only developed country without a welfare state? :)

The US spends $10,203 per capita on public expenditure. That's dead set with Switzerland ($10,412), not that far behind Finland ($11,858), and much higher than Canada ($7,352).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare_state#Effects_of_socia...

Glad I could help you become a little less ignorant :)

If it's the same situation as for pharma in the US (the US spends a ton on it, medical expenses are way higher than in most of the world), my "ignorant" comments are still warranted. I've never seen as many homeless people in France or Germany, for example, as I've seen in the US. I have seen fewer even back in Romania.

I'm glad for your expenses, but you're not getting your money's worth.

A major component of the homeless issue was Supreme Court decisions making it extremely difficult to involuntarily commit mentally ill people into residential treatment and compel taking of medication for their conditions. A good summary can be found at https://mentalillnesspolicy.org/ivc/involuntary-commitment-c...

This has led to a spiral self-medicating with alcohol and illegal drugs and of dealing with the mentally ill through the criminal infrastructure or through rampant homelessness.

There are other drivers of course, but I believe the vast majority can be traced to the inability of the state to force treatment on those who are obviously ill.