Your situation is more the former. It's really common and that's what basic safety nets are for.
The longer term folks - serious drug addiction, mental illness, excessive abuse etc. etc. - those are the harder cases.
Like a 10 year Section 8 waiting list ?
Sorry for the snark, but no social safety net really exist in America. If you don't have a place to go, you don't have it.
In many states if you don't have kids you can't get effective aid. And even with you can still end up sleeping in a car .
Your situation is more the former. It's really common and that's what basic safety nets are for.
The longer term folks - serious drug addiction, mental illness, excessive abuse etc. etc. - those are the harder cases.