is, during Reagan's time as governor of California, they started putting the mentally ill out on the street, as long as they weren't deemed a "danger to themselves or others". That's fine in the interest of personal freedom, but the chronically homeless may not be mentally ill to the point that they need to be institutionalized, but they still need low cost SUPPORTIVE housing. A disproportionate number of the chronically homeless are veterans.

Now we have the new homeless - people who have JOBS, but can't find affordable apartments, don't have the money for deposits, etc, who are either couch surfing, living in weekly motels (me!) or living in their cars. These people are homeless too, they just aren't on the street.