> People living in hotels, temporary trailers (in some places even tiny homes count), living with a friend temporarily, etc are all homeless.

You're right. But is a 30-year-old who moves back in with their parents "homeless"?

And yeah, the paycheck-to-paycheck stat blows my mind. Somehow the standard American experience has become the latest model iPhone (financed), a new car (financed), a rented home, 4-5 meals out weekly, and almost zero money in the bank. And all this in a country with some of the weakest social security in the developed world. I'm sure the half-trillion dollars spent on advertising every year has something to do with this.

The median American has $8000 in transaction accounts and a net worth of $192k. 50-60% of Americans self-report that they’re living paycheck to paycheck, but not everyone understands that to mean “I literally can’t pay the bills if my paycheck doesn’t come on time”.

(Is it deeply uncomfortable to get laid off with $8000 in your account? Without a doubt, especially in an increasingly weak labor market, even if you have home equity or retirement savings you could theoretically dip into to cover what unemployment benefits can’t.)

> Plenty of Americans are much closer than this than you might think working in tech. 50-60% of Americans currently live 'paycheck-to-paycheck' which means the second work stops they're on a timer for missing bills to start coming in.

How is that actually defined by whoever measured it?

> "Homeless" is not the same as "living on the street"

The word is being used to invoke that image.

> People living in hotels … are homeless

Does that include digital nomads who don’t have a permanent residence?

No, the people I'm thinking of are childless. They recognize that their level of stability and functioning is not currently high enough to support a family.

I didn't say that they're thriving and living their dream, just that they're still a couple rungs above homeless.

> think people in the Bay Area who moved for a job and have no family in the same job market

If they've failed to find a job for long enough that they're about to be homeless, does it really make sense to remain in the most expensive housing market in the country?

I think it's equally out of touch to imply that if you select a random person from across America (the richest country in the world) you will land on someone who is an inch from homelessness, with no close family or community, massive debt, and living in terror of the next layoff. Certainly there are people in that situation, but to imply that it's somehow the median American experience is to caricature the country.

All I said is that "most people" have rungs to fall back on, not "everyone".

> I can't believe how tone deaf it is to suggest that most people have multiple rungs upon which to fall back.

There are rungs which are available to the population at large, so all of us have those privileges. For example the armed forces are recruiting. They will put a roof over your head and food in your belly, as well as give you medical coverage.

The median American also owns $39,000 in liquid financial assets.

https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/scf23.pdf (page 22, “Financial Assets” section)

Yes, obviously that's what you have to do. And also thank God that you have that asset to sell to give you emergency cash.

No. What happens is you accept employment and terms you would not previously consider.

Sure, but none of us have to read all the way through every article that hits the front page, or take it to heart when the article is about a rich person.

One of my friends has given up on finding a software job and become a handyman to make ends meet. I get that not everyone in tech is loaded. I just don't think holding your nose and gagging at the "reek" when you deliberately read about someone who has six months of savings is a productive or useful reaction.

I suppose if you are including European and Indian salaries and American students? But upper middle class students are literally temporarily embarrassed millionaires.