Eighner sounds like such a capable rational person throughout this account that it seems difficult to believe that he was down and out for so many years. Home is the natural destination of any homeless person. But nothing can be done in a day, in a week, in a year to get nearer that destination. No perceptible progress can be made. In the absence of progress, time is nearly meaningless.
Some days are more comfortable than others.
Moreover, no homeless person would be likely to be able to obtain employment immediately even if he were somehow delivered from the streets. His fate is no longer in his hands. He may survive, but no more than survive. That's a shame because I'm sure that it would have provided important insight into another facet of life that few are likely to experience. You can also drag your lazy butt down to the library and get it.