The problem with counting them altogether is that there are many in that group, even a majority that can be rehabilitated to not being homeless. And lumping the

The problem with counting them altogether is that there are many in that group, even a majority that can be rehabilitated to not being homeless. And lumping them altogether and then labeling solutions which are applied to the entire group as having failed because they did not help those who could not be helped gives us a convenient excuse to not help those that could be helped. Also someone who is initially down on their luck may be helped, but if you let them continue in this situation they may soon become someone beyond help. Immediate intervention is needed if someone becomes homeless to see if you can get them out of it as quickly as possible, before their bad luck multiplies and they become a lost cause. Someone on the street for a month is still employable, someone on the street for 2-3 years much less so.