Editor's note: The responses and living conditions in this story are relayed as told to SFGATE and could not be independently verified.

Invisible to many who walk by them, more than 7,000 people live in San Francisco without permanent housing. Each of these people face daily struggles living on the street, working jobs while living in a tent or shelter, fighting addiction and mental illness, finding places to shower, and always figuring out where to sleep that night.

Their lives are mind-bogglingly difficult, but how how did they get there? Where did things go wrong? We talked with some of these individuals, both men and women of all ages and all walks of life, asking how they fell through society's cracks, and about their experiences surviving the streets.

This is the start in a series of profiles in which we'll be posing the same question to a group of people faced with homelessness. For the first story, we asked 12 people, "How did you become homeless?" We hope you'll share ideas for future questions; email them to agraff@sfgate.com.

How did you become homeless?

Most of the people we talked to faced debilitating health issues, heartbreaking loss and terrible bad luck.

"I was hit by a drunk driver. I got addicted to pain medication. I was driving from California to visit my mom in New York and I was hit. I was in a coma for 10 months. I could live with my mom but I don't want to impose." —Keith, 48, living on the street off and on for 17 years, recently evicted, hometown New York City/San Francisco

"I was living in Pacific Heights and had a great job. I had a miscarriage and took time off from work. San Francisco is great, but there's no bumper." —Shondi, 45, living on the street two years, home state Arizona, lived in SF since 1995

"Its very complicated. My son was killed. I lost my job. I ended up in jail for a year. It was an accident. I was driving and I crashed. I wasn't drinking but I ran into a city truck. I worked in construction, and I worked at the post office. My wife and I had a home and when we divorced, we had to sell it." —Juan, 58, living on the streets for 20 years, hometown San Francisco

"There was a car accident, and broken hip, but I don't want to go through all that right now." —Annette, 59, living in shelters and on street for four years, hometown East Palo Alto

GALLERY: Former homeless people share how best to help homeless

Many of the people we spoke with lost their jobs or got divorced.

"Divorce. When I married her we moved into her parents' house. When we divorced, I moved out." —Raymond, 54, living on the street one year, hometown San Francisco

"I was married and working and then I got laid off from my job in a warehouse. One thing led to another." —Danny, 60, living on the streets for eight years, hometown San Francisco

"I got laid off. I was living in Atlanta, Georgia, and I was doing construction." —Rickey, 58, living on the street for 30 years, hometown Ozark, Ala.

GALLERY: Homeless by the numbers: uncovering a population living on SF's streets

Nearly all the people we encountered are desperate to find housing and work, but even with a job, securing a rental is like moving a mountain.

"I did many jobs in SF. I was a dental assistant in Union Square. It's hard to work and be homeless. Now, I have no job and no money. I'm looking for work. I'm on a wait list for housing." —Stephanie, 26, living on the street for 1 year, hometown Cancun, Mexico, lived in SF for seven years

"I had a skateboarding accident. My brain was bleeding. I can't move my shoulder. I worked in construction, but now I can't do that job. I can't do the hammering motion. I tried living in a shelter but it's worse than jail. It's mixed up between the crazies, the criminals and the addicts. It's gross. All night they're coughing. I have a van. It's nicer than the shelter. I want to work. I have an interview today for an apprenticeship at a body shop." —Elliott, 49, newly homeless, hometown San Francisco

"Basically my parents retired and moved out of area and I couldn't afford housing. I've been homeless since I was 19 years old. I have PTSD. I was beaten up living on the streets when I was a teenager. I have anxiety and panic attacks. I have been addicted to meth before, but I was able to stop. I know what that's like and I'm not going back. I just found out I'm getting processed into sober-living housing." —James, 34, living on streets for 15 years, hometown Burlingame

MORE, San Francisco homelessness Q&A: Frequently asked questions, answers

A few people we interviewed have the option to move into housing, but they prefer to live on the street.

"I kicked myself out of the ivory tower...my mom's place. I was looking out it one day and I said what you doing? There are people living out there living on the street and I chose to go live with them. My mother and I get along great, but I can't stand her husband. My mother lives on Nob Hill. I go and visit my mom once a week, but live there, no. Mom owns an import-export business. I never knew my real father." —Wes, 62, living on the street for 2 years, hometown San Francisco

"I was in the Marine Corps for 16 years. I could get veteran's disability, but I don't want it because it's labeling myself. I don't believe in our government. I don't want that kind of housing. I don't want an apartment in the inner city. I paid for my first home when I was 29. I bought two homes. One in Illinois with my first wife and one in California with my second wife in Redwood City. My wife broke the vows of fidelity, and I filed for divorce. That's when started living on the street." —Dwayne, 59, living on the streets in a tent for six years, hometown Oakland/San Francisco

(Note: The majority of the people we spoke with asked to use only their first name due to the sensitivity of the subject. Many worried sharing their stories would make potential employers wary of hiring them.)

Read more in the series: We've also asked people these questions:

What's the best thing that happened to you last week?

Is SF a friendly city for homeless?

