Zoning is a racist institution. It was invented to keep non-white people away from white people, segregating the economic windfall of home ownership. It also sits right at the intersection of capitalism and feudalism: imposing outrageous demands on the poor and middle class to maintain the monopolies of the rich, ensure that they retain control, and let them capture the majority of the economic benefit.

Zoning is the secondary cause of homelessness (the primary cause is poverty and they're closely interlinked). Most cities in the US simply do not have enough homes. At the same time, it's broadly illegal to build new ones. Zoning is a massive conspiracy by the capital class to maximize the value of their investments (and exclude people they consider undesirable). It's a conspiracy which seduces those who already have their foot in the door of housing while excluding those too precarious to sit through hours of tedium and thinly-veiled racism & eugenics at city council meetings.

Yuppies hate seeing homelessness, not for compassionate reasons like empathy for the people who involuntarily experience it, but out of æsthetic concerns or fear that people who are visibly homeless will hurt their property values. Property as an investment rather than a home. And at the same time, "preserving neighborhood character" is more important than ensuring there are enough homes for the people who need them. Homes and cash are the most effective cures for homelessness. Stealing homeless people's stuff and making them move is not.

Any time you see a discussion of "zoning policy", think of it like you're hearing a conversation about "segregation policy" or "feudalism policy". Sure, some zoning policies are worse than others, but the correct policy is to eliminate zoning and just let people build dense, vibrant, walkable communities.