I disagree. Housing is a huge part of dignity and dignity is a huge part of society. Crime and vagrancy are expensive and most homeless people are citizens having a hard time, almost always due to circumstances beyond their control. The proper pathway is to have a place of dignity so you can grab the bottom rung of the ladder again and work your way up. If you can't? If you're stuck on the bottom rung? You should be treated as if you're on the ladder. Some homeless/mentally ill people can't properly live on their own. Halfway houses catch those who slot into the system neatly and their lives are expensive - I have a buddy who manages those situations for the state and one DD ex-criminal can be a million dollars a year or more. Actuarially speaking, however, that's cheaper than violence.