Is it possible that rather than abandoning people in dire need, we're now actually trying hard to help those in need instead of criminalizing bad luck and pretending they don't exist, but that that is exceedingly hard to do well?
But, as a society in general, I think we're not actually trying hard yet. We're still largely debating whether or not we should be.
It might be interesting to actually try to help these people before writing them off entirely like that.
I don't think they can be helped, but certainly letting them mill about in public libraries accomplishes what exactly? Yes, I write them off because I am a realist, not a utopian, and I write them off because on balance they cause so many problems for normal people.
It is not worth destroying nice places, cities, libraries, streets for pie in the sky morality that presumes mental illness to this degree or drug abuse can be overcome, or that it is worth all of the mess, harassment, violence, filth, and degradation that we all see everywhere waiting around for this supposed solution that never comes. It's not working.