One thing most homeless people need in order to find a home is income. Being homeless carries a huge stigma with it that can make it difficult to find a job, so

One thing most homeless people need in order to find a home is income. Being homeless carries a huge stigma with it that can make it difficult to find a job, so low-income (or no-income) housing is indeed immensely important. However, one big problem with such housing is that it often isn't that close to jobs. People who can't afford a home often can't afford a car either, and Austin's (for example) public transit is a hot steaming pile of garbage. Rich people in the suburbs typically don't want low-income housing next to their homes or shopping malls so, indeed, zoning is an issue. Concentrating low-income housing in one area creates a lot of problems. Another major problem is that there is a large correlation between being homeless and mental issues. In Canada, you can go on welfare and get housing if you need it, but you have to jump through hoops and interact with government employees to do so. Some people just aren't able or willing to do that. Of course, the climate is rather deadly up here for large portions of the year. There are shelters that the homeless can go to, but there are always those who seem to prefer sneaking into abandoned buildings or sleeping on transit vehicles. Persuading these people to get off the streets takes a lot more resources than people expect, so those resources just aren't there a lot of the time. Perhaps small, spartan, stand-alone shelters that aren't in large blocks of low income housing and aren't formally assigned would attract those unwilling to seek other forms of shelter.