Just How Stupid CAN A Government Be?

     On NPR yesterday, they were discussing the problems that local Social Services have tracking and helping the homeless.  Some people living in shelters have been waiting SEVEN YEARS for Section 8 housing.  Here's the catch:
     Let's say you are homeless.  Let's say you are on the waiting list for Section 8 housing.  They contact you.  You have maybe 30 days to respond.  If you do not respond, they drop you off of the waiting list.  Sounds reasonable, right?
     Hold on.  By Federal regulations, the Social Services office is only allowed to contact you BY MAIL!  If you don't respond to the letter they send you, you will be dropped off of the list!  Where did you receive you letter?  HELLO...  You are HOMELESS!
     The Federal Government has recently realized that the mail requirement was unnecessarily restrictive, so they have relaxed the restrictions on the method of contact.  Social Workers are now allowed to contact potential Section 8 recipients by EMAIL.  !?!
     KA...BOOM!  ...  (That was the sound of my head exploding.)
     These people are homeless.  They don't have a mailing address. But, all they have to do is go to their local Starbucks, log in on their laptops, and check their email.  Sure, that ought to do it.
     Don't you know, the government is going to fix ALL of our problems...  BUT ONLY IF WE ACT NOW, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO WAIT!  (Seems like I heard somebody say that on TV.)