Until the cause of homelessness addressed there won't be much change but the author makes a point about more practical housing on the ground whether it be community housing, boarding houses/shelters or public housing.

As the author offers, a more intense focus on a smaller number of people in a community shelter may also go some way to addressing the disadvantages that contribute to homelessness for the long term than the short term bandaid approach.

Mental illness and drug abuse (often hand in hand) make it more difficult when often schizophrenic episodes or drug dependency increase the likelihood of returning to the streets. This perpetuates the problem making case managment more difficult and any intervention often too late or after the event. There are still a large number of ex-Vietnam Vets living in a cycle of homelessness due to psychological repercussions of disenfranchisement and PTSD. There are a number of programs now in place targeting various risk groups but there does need to be a preventative approach as well as an emphasis on solutions.

Deep-Blue

If John Lennon faced up to himself being part of the problem he would of been much more use in becoming part of the answer.

The homeless problem won't be helped until the lobbyists and funding-grabbing organisations admit the truth.

The 'official' line (the politically correct one) is that there are about equal numbers of homeless men and women...

However the truth is that the ACTUAL homeless are virtually entirely male. This is achieved by including women already is free accomodation as still homeless. And not providing free accomodation for men.

Walk down the squalid lanes in darlinghurst near the Matthew Talbot home for homeless men at night. You will see dozens and dazens of men sleeping rough every night, sleeping under railway bridges etc to get a free feed in the morning. But they don't get free accomodation, so they are forced to stay sleeping literally in the gutter, night after night. Some get into the hostel, and sleep in what looks like a basketball court with about 40 beds in it, looking all the world like emergency shelter after a natural disaster.

Now compare this to the woman, living in nice clean houses (no basket ball courts for them). All they have to say is that they 'fear' violence and they get to live here, rent free, for ever.

So the truth (not the official, 'politically correct' feminist-inspired spin) is that 99$ of really homeless, sleeping-in-the-gutter-homeless are men. meanwhile there are equal numbers of women living in comfortable free clean homes for free, just because they are women.

Love this country.

All the great-time memorable musician had great messages in how they shared with the world what they thought. They have definately made a lot more difference then most of us here I reckon. So for those who are dissing them, please reflect on your own self first. What have you done for society again?

why doesn't the government spend more money in correcting the source of the problems? the upbring and health of children, fix all the mental problems first.. then it'll be a lot easier to fix the rest.

Medical practitioners here.. yes, some of them can actually do their jobs really well, and the rest, only think about money. It's discussed in on or the topic here. How a lot of them don't care too much about helping you with your problem, the way I look at in.. in my opinion, they just complicate our lives even more.. not all.. just most.

Educate our society the right way, make them realize how everything works, till then, homelessness will always exist.

part-time parent
Most statistics do reveal that men make up the large proportion of homelessness - mainly due to alcohol or other mental illness. I can assure you that women do find themselves literally on the streets as well even if they are not in sufficient numbers to satisfy you.

Why are some people compelled to push a personal agenda using a sad and critical situation as homelessness.

Does homelessness relate to housing affordability? In the 1950s you were allowed to live in a shed on a block of land, or even a caravan if you were so lucky.

If the huge restrictions over what you can do with your land were relaxed, housing would become much more affordable, and homelessness would be a smaller problem.