Why not look at the real issue, why are these people not prepared, and if they are unable, what has allowed them to get in that situation. You guys are really shallow thinkers on this issue. And I am probably not making my point very well. But from the responses their sure are a lot of assumptions being made about what I am saying. If this is any indication of Congress, no wonder we are in the world we are in.
There are a thousand different reasons people become homeless or need shelter for a night out of the cold. In addition to the "usual" suspects--the chronically lazy; the substance abusers; those with mental problems; undocumented workers; fugitives on the run... there are also the woman and her children on the run from an abusive spouse; the elderly with no money for heat; the newly unemployed; a family bankrupted by medical bills.
There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution to fix homelessness. But one thing is for sure, a decent's night sleep in a warm place on a cold winter's night may give an individual the opportunity to try again the next day to make things better.
Having said that--what about the irony of having to open a homeless shelter in a county that is awash with empty houses and condos? Instead of using tax dollars to provide shelters for folks in need, maybe you'd feel better to look upon it as a security measure to keep the homeless from breaking into the empty beach houses to get out of the cold.