This thread was rough to read. I'm interested to hear anyone's thoughts on this subject...I guess, as much as I make Rhode Island jokes, this is why I truly feel it's poised for a comeback--people can afford to live here, we have a rapidly expanding EdTech scene, and we're within striking distance to Boston and New York should the need arise.   I like Quora for the honest answers, but this was tough. 

I appreciated the last woman's answer--the woman who went through involuntary homelessness, and also the entrepreneur who advised he lived in an affordable place until he was funded. 

Living in a car is dehumanizing:

In fact homelessness is really quite expensive when looked at in a careful and sober manner. Here are some reasons why:

1. Your health - Being homeless, even for brief periods, will have an adverse effect upon your physical and perhaps your mental health. Most homeless people have a difficult with sanitation, basic medical care and proper nutrition. You'll likely spend more money trying to feed and care for your personal medical needs than if you simply remained in a traditional living situation.
2. You are likely to be cited or arrested if you are homeless - The police simply don't like homeless people. While some may empathize with some of the homeless, they also have a job to do and they resent having to be called to deal with homeless people in most situations. You will find that you are one of those "situations" and if you give them any static, they are going to cite you or arrest you. And citations and arrests cost money.
3. You have no address - This means that a host of things which people take for granted will not be available to you or will only be available with great difficulty. If you are homeless you can expect your mail to be lost or stolen;you'll be denied credit; you can have a difficult time replacing lost or stolen identification and you'll have a difficult time finding employment among other things.
4. You'll find that you have to stay on the move - Being homeless is both dangerous and a hassle. Homeless people are preyed upon by "regular" people as well as other homeless ones. If you aren't confrontational or violent, you'll find yourself the target of frequent attacks and this will lead to Answer # 1 becoming an issue.The police will also require that you move around frequently and that will prove to be expensive and a hassle,
5. Your vehicle will be towed - If you are planning to be homeless in your vehicle, you can expect it to be towed at least once. Unless you have the funds to both travel to where it is being impounded and to pay the fees for it being impounded, your vehicle can be sold. While you may be able to retrieve the contents before this happens, you may not. And you'll still be without a car.

I felt sad for the Duke student who lived in his car:

http://pandawhale.com/post/21185/duke-grad-student-lived-in-his-van-to-graduate-debt-free