I've worked a lot of such low-end jobs in the past. These days it'd take 4-5 full time jobs to make rent.
As for the tenement housing - never seen it - and I have been in a lot of places BC through Sask. I've known families to put up immigrants, friends, family back home to sponsor them sufficient to afford, and way more. I did spend some time in shelters once upon a time - not kind places - and certainly not a place one could hold down a job from. As for me ... I lived in a lot of "low" rent buildings and rough buildings (as well as far more often out of vehicles than actual on-the-street homeless - although did that too) ... eventually I did similar to what the writer did and moved into office work, then remotely and eventually could get my own home.
As for the tenement housing - never seen it - and I have been in a lot of places BC through Sask. I've known families to put up immigrants, friends, family back home to sponsor them sufficient to afford, and way more. I did spend some time in shelters once upon a time - not kind places - and certainly not a place one could hold down a job from. As for me ... I lived in a lot of "low" rent buildings and rough buildings (as well as far more often out of vehicles than actual on-the-street homeless - although did that too) ... eventually I did similar to what the writer did and moved into office work, then remotely and eventually could get my own home.
The old tenements though - some are now museums.