> Basic economics make that really expensive, but not just a waste of money, which is what excess capacity in shelters is. If you boil it down to a bed countin

> Basic economics make that really expensive, but not just a waste of money, which is what excess capacity in shelters is. If you boil it down to a bed counting problem you're right, but it's not as simple as that. Take London as an example. There are shelters, hostels, and even B&Bs in use to keep homeless folks off the street. Each serves different markets, with seasonal changes. Empty beds are already part of the operating model for hostels and B&Bs, so the capacity exists. In my opinion the more challenging questions are around how to connect the supply and demand (in the presence of funding, obviously). I'm not saying basic economics isn't a useful tool, just that it's usually a poor proof of anything in the real world. The clue is in the word "basic".