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If the Bay Area were the entire world, I would agree, but most of the country is very cheap.

Be that as it may, getting transport over to those other, cheaper places is not necessarily easy or affordable.

In some cities, most notably New York, homeless people can get free transportation out. Usually it's just bus fare, which is admirably cheap by the standards of government social programs.

Hawaii also. The state of Hawaii has started a program that gives free one-way airline tickets to homeless people who decide they want to leave.

http://rt.com/usa/hawaii-one-way-tickets-homeless-824/

Now if only New York will offer airline tickets instead of bus tickets, the homeless can commute back and forth between New York and Hawaii forever. :)

NYC offers plane tickets:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/nyregion/29oneway.html

Also, SF has the Homeward Bound program, which is similar:

http://www.sfhsa.org/79.htm

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