Link. Only an asshole would say ending homelessness is not a government duty, federal level, state level, local level, all levels.
For statistics, this link.
Private charity when supplementing governmental effort is welcome. However, it is clear the responsibility to manage homelessness to alleviate suffering of a part of our people is a duty of government, not to be abdicated to private charitable whims, but to always be addressed first and foremost by government, with church compassion and related private sector institutions being supplemental, interstitial care providers where they choose. The government on the other hand, functioning properly, cannot shirk its primary responsibility and still claim to remain legitimate in its actions toward the downtrodden. Poverty will always be a fiscal policy issue, however well or poorly government meets duties.
