system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 Why are there so much homeless people in Germany, although Germany having a social security system.
gpt
Actually there aren't that many 'true' homeless in Germany compared to many other countries with comparable climate.

One of the problems with getting a good idea how many homeless there really are is trying to come up with a good definition.

Most of the people you see begging in the streets in Germany's pedestrian precincts are not actually homeless. The true homeless that have nowhere at all to go and end up sleeping on a bench in the park number perhaps 20,000 in all of Germany. The number of those who don't have a home to call their own but some place to sleep in some shelter is ten times higher (but still much less than it used to be in the past).

Out of a total population of 80 million 20,000 or even 200,000 homeless don't sound too bad.

But why are there any at all?

Germany's social security system is complicated, but even at its lowest level it will pay your rent (or even pay the interest on the mortgage of your home, so that your housing related debt does not increase.)

In theory nobody should end up on the streets as long as they go though the system.

The problem is that not everyone can work with the system and take advantage of all that they are entitled to.

The bureaucracies have limited resources and don't have the personal or the time to after everyone. If somebody doesn't respond to calls and letters and misses meetings they have only so much they can do to get them back on track. If somebody never even asks for help they are unlikely to get it.

The system tries really hard to avoid having someone fall through the cracks, but it isn't perfect.

Of the homeless there are who were failed by the system a large number are alcoholics and/or have other drug or mental health problems.

There are lost of people working hard so that nobody has to live on the streets and go hungry and the low numbers of homeless is a testament to the work they put in, but they can only do so much and their best  efforts are often concentrated on those who let themselves be helped.

It is extremely hard to help someone who doesn't want help.