A welcome contribution.  Homelessness is an issue we all have a stake in.  Glad to see Providence step up to the plate.  I've had family members who were on the street, plus I've known others who have found themselves one paycheck short and ended up in their car, filthy motel, or in a camp.  The Anchorage School District used to have a Homeless Coordinator and I remember a few years aback when up to 1400 kids were homeless.  

Mental illness plays a part here as well.  So does substance abuse, and often many suffer from both.  Men, women, children....all make up those we often label as drunks, thieves, beggers....it's easy to generalize and to marginalize.  

Again, thank you Providence.  Let's all get behind a community wide effort to understand, mobilize, and find a way forward for all those impacted, and that includes each of us.