Let's see now. The homeless "problem" became acute after the mid-1970s closing of age-old mental hospitals, such as Agnew State Hospital, where "mentally incompetent" people were housed. This was a result of several factors: ongoing maltreatment of the "patients" (read: inmates), the development of anti-psychotic drugs, and the desire to reduce budgets. The theory was: we can close the hospital to avoid the overhead costs, give the patients the medication, and they could fend for themselves.

This all came to pass under Governor Ronald Reagan. The hospital were sold off and developers got their bucks, and cities (SF, LA, etc.) by in large were left holding the sack after it became more than apparent that self-medication was unworkable because these people were essentially incompetent to take care of themselves. Reagan was a darling of the GOP -still is- and never mind the political leanings of money grubbing developers. However, you Ministry of Truthers always blame the DEMs.