Define "vacant" home. The house next door to me was empty for two months while it was being sold and before new owners moved in. The house across the street from me has been for sale for months. It is impossible to house homeless in houses for sale; the sellers and buyers would never accept it.

The same thing happens with apartments. They are vacant for a month between tenants or when finding new tenants. Landlords would never accept temporary tenants who couldn't pay.

People holding houses for investment happens, but most rent them out. The few that don't are pretty rare and not enough to affect the housing market.

All real estate is local. The areas with the most homeless also have the worst housing shortages

Here's a short video on why "vacant homes" are not the solution to the housing crisis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xZXdXxYBGU

Plenty vacant houses in run-down towns nobody wants to move to. It’s not the same for the top cities.

Look at the vacancy rate in the most expensive cities, where the homeless are.

Are you suggesting a specific policy?

Communism creates an even worse underclass every time it has been tried.

Please take 30 seconds and imagine a world with 0% apartment vacancy and get back to us.

lol.