I feel for the homeless and the poor. But I don't think giving them cash every month (as San Francisco does) or giving them other handouts is helping much of anything at all. Simply because something troubles you morally does not mean that there is a moral solution.
Since you asked, my first wife and I split up, I moved into a boarding house that agreed to take all of my stuff. Now this just wasn't everything I owned -- it's worse than that. My mother had decided to remarry and gave me all of the things from my childhood home. So I had all of that with me as well.
Being pretty messed up over the bad marriage, I wasn't working, so I got behind on the rent (a month or two as I remember) The family told me they were moving so I had to move out. I told them I was going to stay with friends for a couple of days to see if I could stay with them. When I came back, the entire house was empty. Nil. Nada. SOBs even took a 1979 Pontiac I had out front. So I had 2-3 changes of clothes and the car I was in. That's it. I believe that's what they call "starting from nothing"
I never did find my stuff. I checked the VIN on the car several times with the police but nothing showed up. I guess the worst part is the pictures -- you just can't replace those pictures. I'd give half of what I have now just to get those pictures back. The rest of it? Just stuff. If anything, it was a great lesson in how life can be more about your stuff than yourself. In a lot of ways, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I know that sounds cliche, but it's true. Even now, I wouldn't mind living on Ramen noodles for a few months while kicking out some code in a startup -- it'd be a blast. Whereas I think if I never had that experience I would somehow feel that I was "better" than doing that. I consider myself very lucky.