[pothrowaway]

(throwaway because electricity is out and I'm on mobile, no access to password database)

I'm surprised you're surprised. We get similar stories on HN from time to time and they are almost always developers in America. I'm not passing judgement but it seems OP was not able to save much month to month. Earning doesn't automatically scale with years. As most here suggest, OP should resort to contacting everyone they can expect to care. If that support network falls through then they are really left alone. It is very rough to "fall off the tracks." Homeless aren't all drug abusers.

Personally I think programming is not necessarily a safe career choice here.

[senorjazz]

the parent stated they were in China. Whilst I am making a huge generalisation here - I have found it to true from extensive travel. Lots of people from non-western countries have a mythical view of the west and especially the west. Most of this will come from stylised tv / films where everyone lives in a mansion, doesn't have work problems and live is just perfect and the roads are lined with gold.

I remember when my now wife came to the UK for the first time "wow you have poor people too!". She had been brought up seeing postcard perfect depictions of quaint little village hamlets. But the misconception is both ways. Many people from the UK are shocked to find out that in the tropics you have rainy miserable grey overcast days - as we are brought up with postcard perfect Caribbean seas, palm tress, blue skies and full sun...

Anyway I digress, I can quite understand why someone from China would be surprised at homeless and poverty in the US