“To me, they demonstrate a creative spirit and determination to make a life in this very expensive city.” I doubt theirs was a choice. There is a difference between a young tech kid coming to live in a box in someone else’s living room in the Mission for $800 a month vs. a homeless person having to scrap garbage to make a shelter on the street. It’s important also what type of language we use to talk about the homeless, not one that uses the words like” creative” that imply a choice - this diminishes the issue of poverty and homelessness in America.