I guess it was a bad idea.
http://www.npr.org/2015/12/10/459100751/utah-reduced-chronic-homelessness-by-91-percent-heres-how
I don't think it was a bad idea at all. Education is cheaper than prisons. Providing shelter, a hair cut and shave, bathing and bathroom facilities is less costly than the cynicism fostered by the ugliness and despair on our city streets.
Granted drugs and alcohol are a big part of the problem... but, those can be dealt with as well. I remember reading about people on the street for simply bad luck and/or non-drug/alcohol reasons... loss of a job, divorce, felony record, really bad business deals, etc.
Suddenly they have no address and no place to bathe or wash their clothes. Employment becomes more difficult and spiral continues downward.
It seems one unnecessary nuke could pay for most of them... or an unnecessary war plane the Air Force didn't want. Or a mega farm subsidy or a Donald Trump tax payment.