Having just spent 2 months in Southern CA and drove back to Denver I had a chance to take stocks of things. Both CA and NV have roughly 10% unemployment, CO around 6.5%. I was aggressively panhandled in both states. I have not seen that in the section of Denver I live in yet. I had bums begging when I left the parking lot of Home Depot in So Cal. I had a guy aggressively panhandling me inside In and Out off The Strip in Vegas. I have never seen that in America, guy going quickly and discretely from table to table begging for money before management could get wind and tell him to bail. I fell bad for these folks I really do, but I don't give them money, esp. don't open your wallet. There is nothing to stop them from rushing you when you open your wallet. It's a safety issue. Spend some time learning basic self defense. Crime will increase for sure. Will it get Mad Max, I don't think so.
No, I mean that I've gotten to know about that guy over the last 2 years or so, and he has told me he's a bastard because he doesn't even know who his father is or anything. That poor son of a bitch.
Not a great idea to short homeless people, they have no where to go but up! However, you could put all your trades up in a journal in real time, and allow us the opportunity to short you and bet on you going homeless, what do ya think?
At this point sir, homeless shares are very hard to borrow, since big money has the market cornered. I would recommend that you go long tent manufacturers instead, but hedge yourself with some lumber contracts just in case there is a shortage of canvas !