It's unfortunate we didn't get more facts from the interviewee on how exactly it's too late. The interview felt more like a complaint about politics and less about the dire situation of humanity.
The reason these people are homeless a lot of the times is because they lack housing. Drug usage and crime are a side-effect of this [1].
Denser housing -> Better (frequent, reliable) public transport -> more people use it -> More people want to live in denser housing -> More denser housing is developed -> less homeless.
This is the formula for how Manhattan, brooklyn, and queens were developed by real estate companies. Builders wanted to be near public transport because they knew they could build large apartment buildings and get a bunch of money in rent because a bunch of people wanted to live near public transport so they could get places quickly and reliably.
[1]: Also if we legalized all drugs people wouldn't be forced to turn to criminal organizations. We already do this with alcohol.
I remember being in the fifth grade and finding my dad’s copy of “A Brief History of Time” and thinking to myself “wow that’s an interesting title..” I read it all (barely understanding any of it really cause I was 10) to my hearts content. That book taught me how to ask questions and think differently. I am so so grateful to have inhabited the Earth the same time Stephen Hawking did. Thank you for igniting my curiosity. Rest In Peace.
This is akin to a philosophy professor walking into a hospital and saying "I'm a doctor."
The actuality; the professor is correct. The circumstances of the situation just make for misunderstanding and an apparent disrespect for the medical doctors walking around, from the perspective of the medical doctors.