Public discourse often treats homelessness primarily as a housing supply issue. This chapter argues the reality is more layered — and more structurally revealing.

While housing costs are undeniably central, the persistence of homelessness in wealthy societies suggests deeper systemic misalignments involving mental health, labor precarity, urban land economics, and fragmented service delivery. Treating the visible symptom without addressing the underlying architecture risks perpetuating the cycle.

The chapter reframes homelessness as a systems coordination failure as much as a unit shortage. Where do bottlenecks actually occur? Which interventions have demonstrated durable success? And where might well-intended policies be working at cross-purposes?

Clarifying the real contours of the problem is a necessary precursor to solving it at scale.