The carrot-and-stick model works pretty well as most regions that adopt it: You fund/build enough housing and public programming to get enough of the unhoused into shelters/homes (carrot) and then ban public camping and street sleeping (stick).
Most cities rule out the stick unless the carrot is provided, which is correct. But a significant number of those on the side of handing out carrots don't want to tie it to the stick.
So homelessness is rampant and everyone is unhappy. Perfect.
They tend to avoid shelters because of rules against drug and alcohol abuse, favoring instead tents or public transport such as Palo Alto's "Hotel 22" bus route:
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/documentary-hotel-...