Ummm... how many here actually lived in and around the homeless people in New York City? There's a reason they get the stereotypes as being "bums" rather than just "down on their luck". Most aren't your standard average American citizen trying to work hard and earn a good living. These are the people that gave up long ago; mental institutions close down and ship them out, prisons get overcrowded and give them a bus fare that will go "just far enough". Lots of them have drug problems, lots have become alcoholics either before or after the fact and many have serious mental health issues that need professional attention.
It's not like the protesters are kicking out hard working, down on their luck families with children here. These are the types of people you avoid on the street, not out of shame, but because you fear for your life.