It seems the term "homeless" is used to describe a varied collection of people... families and single people who have fallen on hard times, families and single people who chose to live nomadically, chronic addicts and sociopaths, and, of course, the felons and career criminals who hide among the "homeless" or even prey on them.

This variation is what my sister-in-law's church discovered when they began to screen the homeless who could live on their property. First they tried allowing anyone who needed a space to live there, but it quickly deteriorated into a dangerous and unmanageable situation. They eventually screened most of the troublesome people out, settling mostly for single moms with children and struggling families. They made job searching and school attendance part of the requirement for living on their property. Their effort continues and I hear they've had some success helping to stabilize folks who want to stabilize and settle down.