With the Silicon Valley thriving, and the homelessness increasing the implications of mindless disregard toward people vs profits simply cannot be computed in my brain.
The public conscientiousness that was the norm in the 50's and 60's and the government's priority for middle class and working class dynamics has disappeared in my lifetime. Only the 2%-ers matter now and that is such a damning reality in this country. Those who shout about how much they value the family are liars until you realize they are talking about a daddy knows best kind of "family" with a high income.

The situation is embarrassing and nauseating too.

This family's situation and the way the story was told is sure to trigger some strong and opposing opinions on this board.

It's absolutely unacceptable that in this country, in this day and age, in this affluent corner of the world, that housing is so ridiculously expensive that families are forced out of apartments and into their cars. Yes, it's nauseating, embarrassing and heartbreaking to see the enormous and growing discrepancy between the haves and the have-nots.

Yet it is absolutely clear that the members of this family have made some very poor choices that were entirely within their control. Having a baby at age 17? Having far more children than you can (afford) support? Forking over $800 cash to a "family friend" as a deposit for housing; while it's not clear, the reader is left to assume the agreement was not in writing and she did not get her $800 back.

Stories like this put readers like me in the dilemma of wanting to be compassionate and offer a helping hand to those in need, yet feeling bewildered that our hard-earned tax money should go to support people who could be self-supporting had they stayed in school, attained some kind of job skills, and waited to have children.

Did this family participate in programs that support and encourage teens to go to college, such as AVID and the Mentor Tutor Connection?

I admire Meysi's optimism but wonder if education is one of these "hundred new doors" that she says are about to open. I hope the Voice will follow up with information about the available resources for education and job training, what choices this family makes in 2015, and the result of those choices.

Meysi, if you are at the public library "passing time" reading this, Robin is right! It's the honest answer, not a popular one but the truth. You are owed nothing by the people and your situation was brought on by actions and choices you chose, now you must deal with what life has dealt you. Your 18 year old appears headed down the same path as you and maybe the law should think about penalizing parents for underage pregnancy, homeless people are sad and expect things for free. The government no it's funds , the cities and its public attractions are not in. Place for homeless to hang out and pass time, they are for hard working tax paying legal citizens who work! Get a job.....start there, it's hard to get back on your feet but Meysi,YOU have to start somewhere, soon you will be bathing in public restroom sinks, think change....

This is just one of many stories of life. Tell your girls to stay in school and out of trouble. Tell your boys to stay in school and stay of trouble. The kind of trouble that leads to children.

I would imagine most people don't plan on becoming homeless or even unemployed. I was employed due to a lay off which every day was a waiting game. Made my last rent payment and 2 days later got a job.

Wow, so much judgment from people who don't even know her. This I do know: I'm the 5th child in a family that was fortunate enough to have a steady middle-class income in a city where rents didn't require more than 50% of the average worker's pay.

That's not what we have here in Mountain View where the average rent is $2700/month, putting it in the top 10 cities in the nation. I don't know how people like Meysi are making it, even when employed at low-paying jobs like what she had a Kohls. That median rent is over $32,000 a year. A full-time $13/hr job only brings in $27,000.

Where others lament how Mountain View is changing in terms of large buildings going up, I lament how Mountain View is changing in terms of the people who can't afford to live here because housing is in such short supply that the prices are through the roof.

I admire the school district for allowing the kids to attend wbich brings stability and also keeps up their education.

Yes in this day and age you could get fired for not working on a certain day. Slowly Thanksgiving Day is becoming a major shopping day and yes everybody worked the day after Thanksgiving. Retail is like that and changes to schedules happen, believe me I know.

Maybe Dad ran out or she asked him to leave? She could have waited to have kids, aborted when she found she was pregnant but she chose her kids?

Was one of seven children but my parents worked, my Dad worked to jobs at one point. We had food, shelter and clothes, went to good schools.

My parents weren't well off by any means but the valley provided them a good living and a good standard of living. Today would be far different, housing costs have skyrocketed where non tech types are having hard time.

Wow, this morning there were nine comments to this article, now there are six. Now-missing comments (which had gathered many "Like" votes), which some of the remaining comments refer to, very reasonably pointed out issues the article left unexamined. Including:

- Personal-responsibility factors. The woman has five kids and no apparent income; one child at 18 already has a year-old baby. Some personal choices figure strongly here.

- The claim that Kohl's fired her for not working "on her day off" -- there must be more to that story, in itself it makes no sense.

- Where's the father figure for these five kids? What about paternal responsibility for supporting a family?

I agree with "ambivalent." Compassionate people can be concerned about homeless families, but why does the Voice explore a case so selectively, leaving open so many obvious questions about it?