There are three types of homeless: economic, mentally ill, and drug-addicted. There is overlap, but the categories hold. The first two can and should be helped, and even places in heartless red states figure out how to connect those people to services. If there is a failure to do that on the West Coast, then it’s a condemnation of their so-called liberalism. NIMBYism is a thing out there. So-called “liberals” are throwing a fit in Colorado because Jared Polis stripped away local authority to block new housing.
The third group, the junkies, can only be helped with coercion.
Obviously part of the issue on the West Coast is the insane cost of housing, but it’s not as though housing is cheap in New York or Boston. The difference is political will to do something about it. NIMBYism isn’t as much of a thing back East. Affordable housing is possible.