This population is, by definition, exceedingly mobile with a high turnover rate. Additionally, definitions of what constitutes homelessness vary. Some agencies count every person in a shelter bed, on the street, or in a vehicle on any given night. Others use aggregate, annual counts. Circles of need overlap in the homeless population.
Some individuals are alcoholics, drug abusers, or both.
Some are mentally ill. Some are young, some are old. Some are single, some are heads of households. Ultimately, the private sector, including faith-based organizations in each community. We must immediately transition government out of the business of providing sustained assistance to those who only need opportunity, or for those whose greatest need is accountability.