It's hard to change attitudes. In months as recent as December, unemployment rates in America were 4.1 percent. That is the lowest they've been since 1969. In the last 12 months, the hourly wage has increased 3.7 percent, which is faster than inflation. So, according to the statistics, getting a relatively unskilled job that pays a decent wage doesn't seem too hard.
Substance abuse is a possible barrier between the average homeless person and work.
According to 1999 Salvation Army statistics, 1.4 million more people needed help from the organization in '99 than the year before. They also noted that their substance abuse programs serviced a whopping 57 percent more people in '99 than in '98. That is a powerful correlation. Give them a long-term chance, not another can of soup or bottle of booze. Visit your local fast-food joint a few times and you will realize that even rude, incapable people can get jobs.