I applaud crmeatball's response.

Yes, homelessness is a highly complex issue that does not lend itself to simple political analysis or simple solutions because there are so many causes of homelessness.

One factor in many large cities has been the decline of single room occupancy residences which provided modest, lower cost housing for many single people of limited means. Another cause is drugs and alcohol and other poor life choices. A third cause is terrible family/spouse abuse situations. A fourth factor is the sharp decrease in low-skilled jobs which paid wages sufficient to support living in metro areas.

As for the many people in West Coast cities, maybe that can, in part, be explained by the rather benign weather compared to the rest of the country.

As a liberal, I'd like to state that I contribute to anti-poverty programs through United Way and have volunteered several times over the past year to serve food at a homeless shelter.