Well not my neighborhood, but in my broader municipal area, only about half the shelter/housing capacity is used. The number of empty but available free shelter capacity is close to the estimated number of people on the streets. They haven't figured out how to get them to prefer the shelters over street living.

Not to say there aren't problems but even when they make a pretty compelling effort, it's still not a slam dunk to get the unhoused into proper accommodations.

I'm frequently in the Boston area nicknamed "methadone mile". And, as I said, very many of these people want to be left alone.

They don't want to be forced into treatment or into shelters.