All hell broke loose. The neighbors all started talking, and the landlady sent me a nasty text about transients, and that she had to leave, immediately. I pointed out I could have guests, for up to 14 days, and that was that.

The lack of empathy always surprises me in others. We are all just people - but homeless people and people in crisis are so often treated as "other."

You are right about institutions - I volunteered at a soup kitchen once and they forced the people there to attend a church service before being able to eat. I always thought that was garbage - you should help people because you genuinely want to help them, not force them to listen to a religious service JUST TO EAT FOOD as a some kind of misguided attempt to introduce them to religion.