Sure it's not a straight forward solution. "Proper housing" however, as defined by many city/county authorities, tends to be an overkill solution, in my opinion

Sure it's not a straight forward solution. "Proper housing" however, as defined by many city/county authorities, tends to be an overkill solution, in my opinion. I believe setting someone who was on the streets for some time with a regular apartment, might be setting them up for failure because it could prove to be too big of a step to take. One day you have no responsibilities, and then you have to pay rent and keep a job presumably (if we're talking about a real solution that helps them help themselves). A semi-permanent and cheap alternative gives people extra time to figure their life out and make the proper moves to then be able to keep a place and a job.