A lot of it comes down to your connections and possessions prior to becoming that way. Like, your lady still owned a car and had friends willing to let her sleep there (along with her kids I'd assume).

That's minor to someone like us, but for a homeless person that's a fucking massive leg up. It means having the time to go out and apply for jobs/services instead of wasting it looking for a place to stay and protecting your corner.

Also its a woman with kids, which means she by default had a massive bone thrown her way in terms of actually getting those jobs/services approved. There is a reason why the filthy clothes begger is near always a man. Because all those homeless resources get used up for the women and her children, of which every town has a junkie whore with 8 kids lined up at every kitchen, long before any man even gets considered.

I have no sympathy for a lot of the losers on the streets, as most got their by their own failings, but there is a reason why a documentary was made on a woman with kids going homeless. Because its able to maximize your pity/sympathy, which is the same way it ends up "working out" for her and not the filthy begger.