I certainly agree, what gets lost in the discussion is that people who have no permanent address are a population not a type. That population has many different

I certainly agree, what gets lost in the discussion is that people who have no permanent address are a population not a type. That population has many different types of people among it (as does any population). One need only volunteer at a food bank or a shelter to see how widely variable these types are. The discussion for helping different types need different solutions. We need substance abuse clinics and counselling for the folks whose addictions have resulted in them becoming non-functional. We need housing assistance for the under employed who are working but cannot afford to both feed themselves (and often their families) and pay rent for a place to live. We need mental health services for people who are suffering with mental health issues, both genetic and non-genetic (for example someone who is diagnosed schizophrenic needs a different support system than someone suffering from PTSD or TBI. We need to create meaningful and functional communities for people whose challenges or disabilities make it impossible to participate in the existing communities. There isn't "one" fix that we can apply because there isn't "one" type of person associated with the label "homeless." What I have observed, is that people who are opposed to any state assistance of any kind to anyone (and there are people across the political spectrum in this group) will argue against any fix by holding it up against the type of homeless person for which it provides no benefit. They will argue against drug rehab using people who need housing assistance. They will argue against mental health services using people who need drug rehab. They will argue again housing assistance using people who need mental health services. It is sadly easier to get people to say 'no' because the solution is not generalized than it is to get people to agree to move forward because at least it helps someone.