these articles should be done starting in a single room occupancy hotel with a hot plate and nothing else, because that's what you get when you are poor: nothing.
Some don't get $2, not even $1. Some are lucky to get $0 instead of losing money every day.
Sure, some homeless people get assistance from public or private sources, but many others are too mentally ill, depressed, or self-destructive to seek, find, or even accept aid (when aid is available, which it not always is).
And yes, these people do die of starvation, exposure, malnutition, illness, suicide, drug overdose, etc..
They also rob each other when they walk out of the recycling depot with cash in their pocket. Since you live in an alley you don't have security
To be clear, I'm not saying that is an easy life, I'm only saying that is difficult die of starving in a modern first world nation
Then there's the rice cooker - good for a year, and costs $20. That's another 5c.
If someone else is paying utilities (say, your local university, or your landlord), and you already own kitchen equipment (say, hand-me-downs from your mum) perhaps this is a reasonable assumption. But for those who are actually in poverty, the upfront capital cost of cooking tools and the hidden costs of energy in cooking might be prohibitively expensive.
That said, cooking in bulk is indeed cheaper. So if you're trying to conserve, it might help to find two or three good friends and cook your meals together.