My idea for the homeless crisis has always involved outlawing homelessness, and using federal/state/county funds to build housing outside the metropolitan areas that provide shelter, plus services for the drug addicted/alcoholic, and mentally ill, job training and a reintroduction into society program. I truly believe it should be illegal to be homeless, esp. in metropolitan areas, it's dangerous for them, and immoral for us to watch.
Drug dealers and gang members (who are in the homeless population as well) prey on the homeless, as well as inter homeless violence, which accounts for a high percentage of assaults and killings in high intensity homeless areas in San Diego.
You bulk up safety net shelters, and try to prevent families from falling into homelessness, but the answer should be clean, safe places where they can live and work, not sleeping in cars and RV parks.